Zack Fair the Bad Boy
by ScarletRedfox
Summary: What if the happy-go-lucky Zack Fair we know is the complete opposite? Meet bad boy Zack Fair! AU: prison, modern story with lots of blood and gore showing us how cruel humans can really get! What can a man do after he nearly lost everything he knew? Ask Zack Fair, SOLDIER First Class, with glowing blue eyes, the eyes of a killer. Past Zerith & Cloti
1. Bare your fangs

**Hello everyone!** This story is **originally** from my one shots collection "My Family" but due to requests I decided to turn it into a separate story! I hope you guys enjoy!

 **Infos on story:** Prison-drama, mentions of blood and gore, war, death, conflicts between countries and companies, close to real life dramas, act of violence and inhuman acts mentioned (but nothing too heavy)! A completely different Zack!ž

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything but any future mentioned OC's and the plot! Square Enix owns FF7 and all it's characters!**

 **Chapter 1: Bare your fangs**

* * *

"Hey Fair! You got a letter!" a prison guard hollered as he walked outside to the open training grounds.

He passed by countless of criminals, ruthless men who branded their fists like weapons, with feral expressions on their faces as each of them continued training under the burning sun.

He walked toward one particular male though, who was lifting heavy weights in a tight fitting, sleeveless black shirt and pants. His black, spiky hair hung partially over the metallic board he was laying on, on one of his bulging arms was a tattoo with the Shinra logo and " _First Class"_ titled on it.

"Fair! You have mud in your ears? I said you have a letter," the guard scowled irritably, watching as the young man frowned and stopped his training session.

He opened his eyes, revealing crystal almost electric blues, as he stood up to his full height, easily towering over the shorter guard, standing about (feet) tall with broad shoulders.

"I heard ya Steve," the black haired man took the folded piece of paper the guard offered him and shot him a look, "You mind? I like my privacy,"

"Oh, 'your privacy' _excuse me_. I didn't realize you boys have something called _privacy_ in here!" the guard called Steve laughed but he quickly shut his mouth upon noticing how many angry men were starting to glare at him venomously, he quickly took off after that.

Fair read the letter,

" _Oh my god! Um, hi there Zack! It's me remember? I'm your wife! Of course, you poor baby don't remember anything, but it's the truth! We are married and even have kids! Please come back home sweetie-"_

That's where Zack Fair stopped reading it, his eyes narrowed, he crumbled the letter and threw it behind him, hitting a guard on the back of the head, "Here, throw it to the dogs, they may find it more useful,"

"Hey Fair! Who's the letter from?" Zack's fellow inmate, Barret, asked gruffly. The man was the largest one among all of the prisoners, easily towering over Zack in height and build, being as large as a building and as broad as one. Numerous tattoos covering his large, muscled arms, on his right forearm was written " _Seventh Heaven_ ".

"Tch, my so called 'wife'. Did you hear the news? Apparently I'm a father!" Zack chuckled as Barret roared with laughter, their other fellow prisoners following suit.

Zack passed them by, catching a towel thrown his way to rub off the sweat on his forehead and arms. He leisurely draped it over his shoulder, walking toward where the guards were already waiting for them to get in line. Lunch time.

"Hey, who's that?" came a cocky voice from somewhere behind Zack which made him stop and listen.

"That? What? Don't you know _him_? That's Zack Fair man! You shouldn't cross him if you value your life!" a nervous, more lighter male voice responded

"Hm, I bet I can take him on one-on-one no problem, huh? Doesn't look so tough to me," Zack frowned, his bangs covering his eyes as he counted the steps his supposed challenger took to get to him.

"Yo, I heard you were a big shot around here! Well, I came to take that title for me, got that punk?" Zack's frown deepened as he turned around to regard his challenger.

He was half a head shorter than Zack, light brown, messy hair, green eyes, freckles across his face and pale skin. Zack rose an eyebrow, he didn't see him around here, probably just came in. He frowned, he didn't look like he had the balls to do anything rash let alone do something so severe to get a free ticket to this place. The kid was younger than Zack, too cocky, didn't have much life experience, that innocence in his eyes didn't sit right with Zack at all. He shouldn't go too hard on him, he was just a kid.

"Look, I'm not looking for trouble. I'm hungry so I'm going to eat," Zack nodded at the younger male and was about to turn around but at the last second he ducked and grabbed the other man's wrist as his clenched fist went over Zack's shoulder, hauling him over his body and slamming him to the ground.

"Listen _punk_ , I said I'm hungry and I'm going to eat. If you want to deal with the guards, fine by me, but don't go picking fights when play time is over," he roughly slapped the man's head as he passed him, gathering dust beneath his combat boots.

"H-hey! Are you alright James?" the same nervous, lighter voice from before said and a even smaller, thin, frail-looking boy arrived to help his friend up.

"S-shut up! I almost had him ow! Damn it!" he rubbed his aching head

"Would ya look at that, some newbie tried takin' on Zack," Barret laughed and crouched down to James' eye level to whisper in a low tone, "Listen kid, you can pretty much do anything here ya want, but if you're looking to survive your stay here, back off from Fair got that? He's not the kinda guy you wanna mess with,"

"Ugh, _why_? Just cuz' he can sprout some big ass words and-" Barret kicked the newcomer in the side

" _Shut the fuck up!_ I'm one of his friends and _no one_ bad mouths him when I'm around. Now listen and listen good, cause I ain't repeatin' myself," Barret looked briefly at Zack's retreating form

"His name's Zack Fair, he came here about four years ago, had been a goody two shoes then as they came, didn't want trouble, didn't get into any trouble." At the confused look on James Barret continued, "At least that was his attitude, when we all found out _why_ he's sitting ducks here in this prison…let me tell ya I got the _chills_ ,"

He leaned in to whisper, "That man killed an entire division of SOLDIER, the largest one the company had to offer. Ya know at least SOLDIER right? Shinra? Ring any bells?" James could only nod mutely, in too much shock to verbally answer, "Yeah, thought so. Anyone that hasn't heard of Shinra is either an outsider or hit in the head, the most powerful electric power company in the west, east and the majority of the north. SOLDIER is their paramilitary branch but ya already know that," Barret cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"See those eyes kid?" Barret asked, discreetly nodding at Zack's hard-to-miss glowing blue eyes. At James' nod, Barret whispered, "Those are the eyes of SOLDIER. A SOLDIER trademark, color of the sky. Some say those are the eyes of a killer, but that title doesn't just fit him," James would have protested if he hadn't been close to wetting his pants already.

"Anyway, that division was made up of at least a thousand of em' foot soldiers, heli's everywhere, bastards armed with guns, bazookas, bombs, swords, you name it. He was First Class, but nobody thought he would have made it-"

"Cid! Would ya stop buttin' in when I'm trying to talk damn it?!" Barret growled at his friend, glaring at the former pilot.

"Ya ain't the only good story teller ya know?" at Barret's stubborn look, the elder pilot sighed, "Yeah, yeah, knock yourself out princess," Barret rolled his eyes.

Cid Highwind, former pilot in service to Shinra, came here three years ago because he killed the murderer of his wife. An honorable, understandable thing some might say, while others viewed it as a crime. He wasn't the violent type by default, he was rough around the edges from war but otherwise he was as good as company can get.

Barret cleared his throat, "Story says, some guy was with him, his friend from the good ol' soldier days. He had been poisoned or shit like that and Zack had been looking for a way to escape from SOLDIER, tough luck I tell ya. Shinra sent their dogs after them to kill their own men. Out of over thousands of em' only one remained standing and that was Zack Fair," he shook his head

"W-what the-? B-b-but how?! T-that's impossible! Nobody can beat so many SOLDIERs!" James said alarmed, "W-wait…you said only he remained standing…w-what happened to his friend? The one from his soldier days?"

Barret shrugged, "Don't know, he never told me. He's a private guy, doesn't like to reveal too much about himself. If someone's pryin' too much, you get a fist in yer mouth or a harsh tongue lashing. Sometimes I don't know what's worse with that guy," Cid chuckled opting to follow Zack toward the line.

"How do you know t-then?"

"Tch, I tried breaking out a couple of times and found his files while I searched for the keys to freedom. He never told me why he was here, just that he killed a bunch of people. I thought he was the same as those ruthless criminals ya know, the _real_ criminals. But he actually did a damn honorable thing out there, he's here for nothing," Barret shook his head, "Damn system and their damn laws, damn Shinra to hell! A guy like him shouldn't be here at all, too bloody good for this twisted society."

"Hold it…you said he was a goody two shoes when he first got here…what the hell changed?" James was shaking as he waited for an answer

Barret frowned deeply, standing up and rolling his shoulders, "What changed? Prison changes a person in many ways kid, it's a sick twisted world out there but in here…bah…yeah we are criminals and most of us here got blood on their hands…but they treat the rats in the sewers better than us. If a guy who murdered his wife's new husband gets beaten up and treated like shit by the guards, what do you think they did to _him_ for slaughtering an entire elite army division of those top dog SOLDIER bastards? One of their own?"

James swallowed hard, shaking in fear as he watched Zack nod to one of the guards, walking inside the building.

"Chew on that for a while. Zack's right though, I'm damn hungry and I wanna eat somethin'," Barret said, rubbing his stomach as he and the rest followed suit to go in line.

Zack waited for Barret and Cid to finally come, he fell next to them in step, his hands in his pockets, "Thanks," he opened his glowing blue eyes and smiled at them.

"It was nothin'," Barret smirked, punching his shoulder lightly as Cid grinned.

Cid briefly looked at Zack's glowing blue eyes, " _A SOLDIER trademark, no shit,"_ before he shook his head and grabbed a tray in the cafeteria.

Thank you everyone for reading! I hope my readers from "My Family" are also reading this! **Reviews are always welcome and suggestions for improvement! BTW: English is NOT my FIRST language! Any pointers on mistakes are welcome! :)**


	2. Meeting an Old Friend

Hey everyone! How are you guys (yes you who is reading this) and I'm genuinely curious, otherwise I wouldn't be asking, you're free to write your answers as reviews or PM me ^_^ I wanna be one of those authors who communicates with readers since I'm also an avid one XD

 **Chapter 2: Meeting an Old Friend**

* * *

"So, Zack, with what did you kill those bastards anyway? Guns? A bazooka? A tank?" Cid asked, panting as he lifted the heavy weights above him in their shared cell.

Zack continued doing his ritual squats, the muscles in his legs working beneath his shorts as his eyes remained focused, almost cold, "A sword,"

There was a loud "thump" and Zack looked behind him to see Cid fell over on the floor, Barret stopped working out and could only stare at Zack in disbelief.

"What?"

"A sword. I killed them with a sword," Zack repeated, raising an eyebrow at his closest friends in prison. What was so weird? He heard worse things from inmates…

"Ya mean to tell me you killed em' all with _one_ sword? And the thing didn't break? Hell didn't they have guns?! And missiles? How did you fight _that_?" Barret swallowed, nodding mutely once Cid stopped talking.

Zack shrugged, stopping his squats and instead he moved close to the wall, positioning himself on his hands, lifting his legs up swiftly so his heels touched the wall behind him. He slowly started to lift himself up and down, his head almost touching the floor as the muscles in his arms tensed and relaxed.

"I had a broadsword called Buster, it's almost as tall and as wide as me. I didn't have much trouble deflecting bullets, _especially_ not bullets. The missiles and bombs were harder to deflect, though I managed to cut through most of them," Zack spoke about it as if it hadn't been a mass slaughter, as if he were talking about the weather, "Buster's steel can't be broken easily, I'd go so far to say it's one of the best I've ever had the privilege to wield."

Barret whistled, "Woah man…that's sure a story, I wasn't even sure if you will answer that one,"

"Why?"

"You like your privacy, we can respect that, sorry pal, we are just curious at times," Barret shrugged, shooting Zack a apologetic look.

"Nah, it's fine. Ain't nothing I wouldn't tell ya anyway," Zack smiled one of those rare smiles that Cid and Barret soon learned were only for people he felt very comfortable with; Cid and Barret.

Zack continued training, making sure his breathing was under control as his muscles burned at the strain. His blue eyes were focused, concentrating on one spot in the wall as he continued to pump oxygen in his burning muscles. Sweat began to drop from his chest, to his chin, down his face and all the way down to the roots of his spiky hair.

"Ever thought of cutting up all that hair? It must be a pain with these high temperatures," Barret commented, running a hand over his own short haired almost bald head in silent relief.

"Nah," came Zack's simple reply

"Why? I bet Cid can fix ya something cool, like curls or shit like that, man I would laugh for days if that would-"

"I said _no_ alright?" came Zack's suddenly harsh reply, he lifted himself into the air with his hands, landing on his right foot bent as his other leg stretched with his arm parallel outstretched to the ground. ( **A/N: That same scene where Zack jumped off the train while training in the virtual reality room with Angeal)**

Cid and Barret shared a look, before Zack straightened and turned his head partially to look at them, a slight glare in his glowing eyes, "Sorry, but I like it the way it is," Zack grabbed the steel bar that was fixated above him on the wall, jumping up slightly to grab it and lift himself up and down.

Cid shuffled closer to Barret and whispered so quietly so the former SOLDIER doesn't hear him, "I don't think he needs a haircut,"

Barret could only nod, "Nope,"

* * *

"Hey, Ex-SOLDIER!" Zack had gotten used to the calls and the nicknames they have given him, but "Ex-SOLDIER" seemed to just stuck.

"What?" Zack didn't bother to sit up, opting to remain laying on his hard prison bed.

"You got a visitor," the guard said, resting a hand on his cell keys

"Send her away, I don't know her," Zack rolled on his side, rolling his eyes at the thought of another one of his supposed "girlfriends", "wives" or even "kids" visiting him. He was half-sure they would dub him "sexiest man alive" if he weren't in the cell. Or at least "sexiest criminal", he had to snort at that.

"It's a "he"," the guard muttered, shaking his head as he unlocked the lock on the metal bars and pushed them aside.

Zack's eyebrows shot up in surprise he quickly sat up in bed and jumped out of it, "Wait…it's not a woman?"

The guard frowned and sighed again, "No,"

Zack blinked, who the hell could it be? He didn't have any relatives, not many friends he knew would come to visit him, if he had any at all actually…then again maybe Rufus Shinra got bored and decided to visit him…that would be beyond crazy even for him.

Zack warily walked out of his cell, passively accepting the shackles they put on his hands and feet and around his neck.

"What? My neck too? You guys got an upgrade or something? Gee, am I gonna get a muzzle? I promise not to bite," he winked with a grin, his blue eyes slightly making the guard uncomfortable.

"Enough with the games and get going Fair," he harshly pushed the man forward rolling his eyes

"Oi, careful with the soft bits," Zack pouted, sighing as he obediently followed the guard, watching as many of the prisoners watched in anticipation as Zack was led away from their prying view.

"Hey, hey! What the hell happened? Did Fair do something?" a chubby inmate asked his friend

"What? Fair doing somethin' wrong? Nah, he done shit I tell you, shit! Don't know why they took him out now,"

"D-did you see that thing he got round his neck? Looked heavy as hell to me…" a prisoner said, relatively new, only about six months here.

A old man with many missing teeth grinned, "Ya mean the shackles son? Only the real bad boys get 'em, those the guards are afraid will bite," he imitated a dog biting, making the newer criminal back away slightly, "Ah, yes…Fair may bite, though his bark is just as painful as his bite, or so I've heard. If Fair bites, he will bite 'em shackles off and the hand that slaps him with it,"

The old man laughed, almost deliriously, the newcomer from before shook his head, trying to get his shaking under control.

"Man am I glad I'm not with him in that cell…" many of the rest heard him and nodded in agreement.

"We all are. Old man's crazy as fuck," a bigger man with many tattoos said, frowning as he thought over why they took out Zack.

* * *

Zack frowned as he was led into a semi-familiar room, he stood in front of the large, heavy metal door, anticipation dwelling up in him over who could possibly come visit him that didn't think of him as their long lost "husband" or "father".

When the guard on the other side opened the door, Zack's blue eyes widened in shock as he saw someone he was sure he would never see again.

"Zack, it's nice to see you again, though I wished it wouldn't be here," the woman's slightly deep yet light feminine voice rang out, a soft, warm smile playing on her lips as her brown-burgundy eyes regarded him.

"Lockhart?" Zack's jaw hung slack and he almost fell back if the guard weren't holding him up

"Don't go faintin' now Fair, I know she's a real looker but you ain't usually so weak kneed," the guard whispered in Zack's ear, clearing his throat when the woman narrowed her eyes, obviously having heard him.

"Do you mind? I would like to speak with my old friend in privacy," Lockhart narrowed her eyes at the second guard in the room.

"I'm sorry but we have a duty to keep an eye on him, _especially_ him," he shot a look at Zack's stunned form

"How about this? I know you have a mirror you can see through, why don't you observe him from there? You can come here any time he misbehaves, but I'm sure he won't. While you are at it, do you mind taking off his chains and shackles? He's a prisoner but not an animal,"

Zack rubbed his wrists and neck in relief when they, after a moment's hesitation, complied with her wishes and released the shackles.

Both parties waited until the guards left the room, Zack _had_ to roll his eyes and grit his teeth behind closed lips when he heard one of the guards mutter _'lucky bastard'_ behind the door.

Oh if _only_ he were lucky.

Without leaving the woman out of his sight, he slowly pulled the chair back and took a seat, leaning a bit back on the chair as his eyes were on hers.

"I didn't know you went to surgery, the new gender suits you," Zack joked with a smirk and crossed arms, the woman rolled her eyes

"How else would you come out here if they told you I was a woman? The good thing is I'm not here to accuse you of being my husband or the father of my non-existent kids," Zack chuckled

"So, Tifa, what brings you to this hellhole?" Zack smiled but Tifa saw through it

"Don't worry, I've been in enough hellholes. This one has at least a familiar face I wouldn't necessarily punch in," she retorted, leaning back in her chair as well.

Zack's eyes were briefly drawn to her impressive chest before they looked off to the side in disinterest, Tifa giggled suddenly.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you if you look for a few seconds, though over a minute is considered creepy so I would count the seconds," Tifa smiled softly and winked at her old friend

"Sorry," Zack's apology was genuine as he shook his head and looked Tifa in the eyes, "A bit weird seeing the opposite sex again after staring at the racks they sport in here," Zack made a gagging motion and Tifa laughed.

"I bet. We are friends, right? You know, I'm not one to get overly defensive, I run a bar Zack, I'm practically immune to the stares," Tifa played with the ring on her finger, representing a silver wolf head with a ring in its maw. Zack's gaze grew dark,

"I'm sorry Tifa…" Zack frowned, turning his head away in shame, his hands clasping together tightly on the table.

A warm, slightly calloused hand was placed on top of his one, stroking gently, comfortingly, he looked at her in surprise, "It's in the past and it's not your fault, you know that Zack," her tone was soft and understanding, soothing the ache in his heart just a bit.

"Thanks…" Zack muttered, resting his larger hand on top of hers and squeezed lightly, seeking comfort from her, "I never wanted any of this to happen…especially not like this. Though as long as he is alright, it makes my stay here easier to bear," Zack smiled softly

Tifa closed her eyes for a minute, feeling a tear slide down her cheek and a warm hand on the left side of her face. Her eyes shot open in surprise, caught off guard.

"What did I say about that? You know I hate it when you cry," Zack gently rubbed away her tear, offering her that grin that said everything would be alright.

"Say, how is Aerith? Doing alright? Did you visit her and bring her some flowers?" blue eyes held sadness and hope in them

Tifa bit her lip, nodding, "She's fine, I visit her every month to tend to her flowers and clean her grave…she loves the flowers," Tifa smiled and that was enough for Zack.

"Good, good," he pointed to the back, "You know I would visit her, I hope she isn't too mad at me, but they ain't too flexible on me coming out of here, at least not until I wait for my turn,"

"You mean in a hundred years? Come on Fair, I'll be all gray and wrinkled when you drag your old ass out of here," Tifa grinned with good humor

"Heh, to think you'd get more wrinkles than you already have Lockhart?" Zack teased, blocking her playful punch to his face, "Not the face woman! You can damage the eyes," he made a show of blinking rapidly at her

"I'm only thirty mind you. How could I forget, color of the sky," she shook her head, "Well? Where are Barret and Cid? Don't think I just came here for you or else your ego will grow too big again," Tifa winked and Zack could only laugh

"They are in the cell, the guard just came for me though," he rose an eyebrow in question

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll go visit them now myself," Tifa stood up, bandages peeking out from her fingerless gloves.

Zack frowned in worry, inspecting her hands gingerly, "Trouble in the bar?"

"Nothing I can't handle, besides you know my other profession. In that sport, it's a miracle you don't get busted knuckles right?" Tifa smiled

"Am I glad you didn't bring your punching gloves with you, I'm sure I would have run straight back to my cell if you did," he chuckled softly as he placed a hand on her back and opened the heavy door for her.

"Same old gentleman I see," Tifa smiled and entered the door first, then Zack followed, "Can't believe they didn't lock the door with a troublemaker like you without your muzzle on," she shook her head with a smile.

"J-John! You didn't lock the damn door?! Fair could have escaped you idiot! Quick! Get the shackles!"

The same two guards immediately came running toward them, the shorter one shouting frantically:" W-w-wait! I-I'm not sure if it is such a good idea for you to visit the other men!"

"Excuse me, but it's still visiting hour right? I have every right to visit whom I want, even the rats here if I wished," Tifa's smile was dangerous yet sweet at the same time, making the shorter guard shiver in fear

"You heard the lady, besides, I'm here so nothing will happen," Zack grinned

"That's what we are afraid of…" the taller guard muttered under his breath, sighing loudly and guiding them back to the cells with Tifa in tow.

"Don't worry, he's a good boy when he's with me," Tifa commented with a teasing smile

Zack jokingly wiggled his eyebrows, "Hoho, I wonder how anyone can be a "good" boy with you round," he bumped shoulders with her playfully and roared with laughter when Tifa punched his shoulder

"You've transformed into a pervert the longer you spend time with Barret and Cid I see,"

"Guilty as charged, ne?" Zack winked and Tifa only rolled her eyes

The shorter guard took the rear, walking behind Zack to ensure he didn't do anything fishy.

The minute the doors opened and Tifa walked in, cat calls, whistles and whatnot erupted among the many cells of various criminals.

"Hey baby! Want a free ride? You just need to direct that body over here!"

"You look like my ex wife but you're much prettier, don't worry, I won't kill you though,"

"Hey lady! Are those real or did ya sit on the table for 'em? Can I have a test grab?"

"Hey toots, let me show ya a good time you will never forget, me an' my buddies here will-" the prisoner's suggestive remark died in his throat as did every other when they all spotted Zack Fair behind the attractive woman, slinging an arm around her shoulders leisurely.

"Hey Snake, did you say something about my lady?" the dangerous gleam in Zack's glowing blue eyes made the large man's knees shake in fear, he fell on the floor, shaking.

"I-I-I-I…I-I d-didn't! I-I s-swear! I-I'm sorry F-Fair! I didn't k-know!" he scrambled to get off the floor, hiding behind one of his equally shaken inmates.

Zack frowned darkly, keeping a protective grip around Tifa as they walked toward his cell.

"Thank you," Tifa whispered in the taller man's ear, "You didn't have to, I ignore it anyway,"

Zack snorted in displeasure, "You can't expect _me_ to ignore it, I hate it when they talk shit like that. Besides, Barret and Cid are a lot worse Teef, they would have crushed that guy's skull in,"

Tifa shook her head, kissing Zack's cheek in thanks, "I know, I know. But that man looked like he would wet himself, you didn't have to scare him that much Zack,"

Zack blushed lightly but rolled his eyes, whispering in her ear, "You'll make me look like a softie Teef," Tifa giggled quietly at Zack's joking embarrassment, in truth, he didn't care what they thought.

"Oh as if you aren't," Zack rolled his eyes and playfully nuzzled the side of her head, making Tifa laugh.

"Damn that guy…look at him…I wish my hands were there where his are…"

"Oh c'mon…he doesn't even have them anywhere near the goods," a inmate protested quietly, making sure he was as quiet as a mouse to not be picked up by Zack's sensitive hearing.

"Well, well, well, looks like leaving you three alone is making a number on your hygiene huh?" Tifa scolded lightly just when Cid and Barret tackled her with bear hugs, the guard holding the jail door open briefly wondered how they didn't crush the woman.

"Teef!" both males shouted, almost crying at finally seeing their sister figure again after so many months.

"Now, now," Tifa smiled and hugged them back tightly, frowning at how dirty their cell looked.

"Sorry, we would have cleaned up more if we knew you were coming," Zack joked with a grin and Tifa shoved him playfully away

"So, any news on Spiky?" Barret asked, sitting down on the wooden bench with Cid, Zack opted to lean against the wall. The former SOLDIER tensed, looking expectantly at the bar maid.

She shook her head sadly, "No, nothing much changed. He says he remembers bits and pieces, he hates Shinra like the plague but he doesn't know why. And he…" she looked sadly at Zack, "He still can't remember you…"

Zack closed his eyes and smiled shaking his head, "It's alright," he pushed himself off the wall, "As long as he is safe nothing else matters to me," he grinned.

"What about Vincent? Where's Yuffie?" Cid asked, sitting down on his bunk bed.

Tifa shook her head, "They stopped investigations on Vincent, they said they didn't have enough to charge him for helping you guys out, they did get suspicious though when he tried cutting the years you would have to spend here. He's still a policeman but they won't let him get to active duty anytime soon," the woman crossed her arms, "As for Yuffie, well…she's helping me out in the bar frequently but she still works as a martial arts teacher,"

"What about you Tifa?" Zack suddenly asked and his companion sent him a questionable look, "What is _really_ going on with Seventh Heaven?"

The bar maid bit her lip and sighed after a few minutes of having a stare down with Zack, "I've lost some customers, said something about not wanting to drink at a place that previously the most wanted serial-killer/Ex-SOLDIER visited before," she rolled her eyes

"Pff, then they would have to stop going to at least half of 'em in town," Zack frowned, "How many?"

"About half of my normal number of patrons,"

"I see," Zack crossed his arms behind his head, "I'm sorry-"

"Don't Zack, it's not your fault. I think it's _my_ decision if I have the most wanted criminals as my good friend or not," Tifa crossed her arms, giving him a challenging but soft look.

"Ah, ah, _one of_ the most wanted criminals! Why is everyone describing me as Jack the Ripper? I just killed a few people," Tifa pointedly looked at his " _First Class"_ tattoo

"A _couple_ of people Zack Fair, _First Class_ SOLDIER?" the bar maid rested her hands on her hips, "Don't make me punch some sense into that thick skull of yours,"

" _Why_ does everyone have to mention my former title and position in SOLDIER whenever we talk about how many bastards I killed?"

"Gee, I _really_ don't know…" Cid muttered dryly

"Cold as ever," Barret commented, shaking his head

Blue eyes narrowed into jagged sapphires, "Cold huh?" Zack's whole demeanor turned dark and the guard behind them froze in sudden fear at the intimidating aura, "I've looked at each of my kills in the eyes, Barret, each of 'em. They all felt _fear_ , fear for their lives, fear to be looking death in the eye and knowing that I would either slit their throat, gouge their eyes out or cut them open from their legs to their throat and split 'em wide open, slowly, so they can _feel_ their skin tearing apart, their blood seeping through the cuts, how their heart beat increases as my sword slides closer and closer to it, tearing all their insides apart." Zack paused, a sinister grin on his face

"After I killed the first thousands or so, I took my time with the rest of them, I got creative too. A downward slash from above splittin' their skull, a horizontal slash which tore their midsection apart, impaling them on Buster, cutting them deeply and leave them on the ground to bleed to death, hitting them with the blunt side until I smashed their teeth out and crushed their arms n' legs, choking on their own blood…" he closed his eyes, "Sometimes, I can even hear their screams of agony, the gurgling noises as they choke…the sounds of their bones crushing beneath my feet…" Zack's tone was cold and serious, his glowing blue eyes terrifyingly deadly.

"When I first realized they were after Cloud, I wanted the bastards to pay, in the most painful way possible. I realized I had been betrayed by my own company, people I've used to work with for years… I didn't give a damn when I saw the life leaving their eyes, their cold, dead eyes staring into me, some frozen in fear…I would do the same things again if it came down to it,"

Zack opened his eyes and the previously chilly atmosphere cleared when he suddenly smiled warmly at Tifa and the others, "Anything for my friends," he nodded with a confident grin.

The guard standing in front of their cell was on the floor, eyes wide open in fear and shaking like a leaf.

That was Zack Fair, Ex-SOLDIER, former First Class of Shinra, top dog, a killing machine, a dear friend, a cold-blooded killer, a kind and understanding man…

The man with eyes the color of the sky.

* * *

 **NOTE:** I'm really not sure if I should continue or not, if it should be a mini story…I have a good feeling about it but I don't know if it has any real potential to be 6+ chapters. **REVIEWS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED! THANKS!**


	3. Behind these Steel Bars

Hey guys! **BTW:** This is a flashback sequence, set when Zack had first been imprisoned!

 **WARNING : **THIS CHAPTER WILL BE **RATED M** TO BE SAFE **! EXPLICIT Blood and gore ahead!** This chapter will be **mostly** centered around **acts of violence** and **inhumanity! MINORS be warned turn back please!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Behind these Steel Bars**

"Who is this?" the officer asked, hitting the steel bars to a cell inhabiting a man with his back turned to them. The man in the cell didn't budge though.

A policeman of lower status scanned quickly over the prisoner's files, "Zack Fair, 24 years old, used to be a part of Shinra and their military SOLDIER."

"Why is he here?"

The policeman's eyes widened as he read the information with his lips trembling silently.

The officer turned to his subordinate, "I'm listening,"

"H-he…he k-killed an entire division…"

" _What?_ " the officer _couldn't_ believe this.

"He….killed an entire division of SOLDIER, the largest of them…more than a thousand of Second and Third Class SOLDIERs, infantrymen and helicopters."

"What Class was he?"

"F-first Class s-sir," the papers in the man's grip were shaking

The officer's cigarette fell to the floor, his mouth was slightly open before it closed into a thin line.

He hit the steel bars of the prison cell hard, "Why did you kill your own men?! Why have you betrayed Shinra?! Answer me _SOLDIER_!" the resonating sound of the vibrating bars sounded within the prison, causing most of the prisoners to quiet down and listen in to what was happening to the newcomer.

They had no idea who the guy was, just that he had been brought in with the highest security guards as well as heavy chains and shackles attached to his feet, hands, waist and neck.

The man sitting on the floor cross legged didn't move a single muscle at first.

A deep young voice sounded," You ask me, why I killed my own men who betrayed me and hunted me down like I was a criminal? You _ask_ me, _why_ I turned my back on a company I've worked for years and pledged my loyalty to, only to be on their list of people they still needed to kill?" the man rose suddenly, slightly hunched as if sporting an injury and turned around.

The officer and policeman behind him took a step back.

Electric _glowing_ blue eyes glared at them with unbound killing intent, their glow only further enhancing the bloodlust the man must have felt towards those that have rammed a dagger in his back.

"You're with Shinra, aren't you?" the man, the _prisoner_ , Zack Fair, asked.

The officer snorted, resting a hand on his hip with a smug look, "What's it to you, _murderer_?"

Blue eyes widened, Zack's pupils dilated and his muscles tensed, teeth clenched tightly.

All hell broke loose.

One minute the officer was smugly leaning against the steel bars, taunting the imprisoned former SOLDIER, the next, said SOLDIER had a arm wrapped tightly around the officer's neck, pressing him tightly against the steel bars.

The officer made choking noises, clawing at the muscled arm that was locking him in a death grip, his eyes were wide in shock at the unexpected act.

"You call _me_ a _murderer_? Shinra killed _millions_ of people, _innocent_ people, my parents, my friends, my girlfriend _all_ of them. They tried taking away my best friend, but we escaped. Then my own men gunned me down, tell me, officer, _where_ is he?"

Choking noises. Zack tightened his grip and growled into the officer's ear:" _That's an order,_ "

The poor policeman was in shock, trembling on the floor, too terrified to call for help, too much in shock to stop Zack from choking the life out of his superior.

Zack sharply turned the officer's head toward his glowing blue eyes, not enough to break the bone, but certainly enough to hurt, "Refusing an order?" to the officer, it seemed as if the dangerous glow of his eyes only intensified with killing intent.

"I-I-I-I-" he choked, gasping for air, clawing at the arm holding him, drawing blood but Zack didn't care, didn't even feel it anymore.

"Sorry, you can't breathe, can you?" Zack loosened his grip just so he wasn't cutting off the man's air supply anymore but nonetheless held a firm grip.

"I-I-I d-d-d-don't k-know…..d-d-don't know…..a-a-anything-"

"Bullshit!" Zack snarled, tightening his grip again, "You _know_! I can see it in your eyes you scumbag! Where. Is. He?!" Zack glared venomously, feeling his anger and resentment rise.

"T-t-t-t-town,"

 _Crush_

Zack removed his arm from between the steel bars, his glowing blue eyes cold and sharp as he watched the now dead man slide down the bars and fall onto his face, breaking his nose and teeth from the impact on the hard floor, causing blood to gush out of his mouth from his broken neck and jaw.

The policeman trembled in fear and horror, looking up at the intimidating man behind the steel bars

"W-w-w-wh-who a-a-are you?" he couldn't hide the terror and fear in his voice not even if he tried.

Zack directed his cold gaze toward the whimpering man on the floor, there was some blood on his face, little drops that must have escaped from when Zack broke the officer's neck and jaw earlier.

"Zack Fair, SOLDIER First Class,"

The man would never forget the tremendous killing intent in the terrifying SOLDIER's expression, he would also never forget those murderous, scary glowing blue eyes.

The eyes of a killer.

The eyes of Zack Fair. SOLDIER First Class.

* * *

Zack bit his tongue hard, feeling the bitter taste of his own blood in his mouth as he tried to not make a single sound.

" _God damn it, these guys must do this every day, they know where to hit that it counts,"_ Zack thought as he felt the stinging, mind numbing pain on his back, stomach and chest.

"He's got enough," a voice, distinctively male, said in the room, somewhere from Zack's right.

"No, this boy was First Class material, I bet they had to endure far worse than this!" he pushed the dagger deeper into Zack's open wound, the hot blade searing Zack's flesh and burning it's outer layers. Zack remained firm and didn't make a sound.

"Tough guy huh?" his torturer chuckled darkly and almost broke Zack's ankle, twisting it in a unnatural angle.

These were experts, they knew exactly where the nerves were the most sensitive and where it really _hurt_.

"Let's try this again. Tell us SOLDIER, where is your little buddy? Cloud Strife?" he slammed his boot against Zack's back, making him cough out blood and bend slightly forward on his scraped and bruised knees.

The determination and stubbornness never left Zack's eyes, "I don't know, _asshole_ " a kick to the face, Zack spit out what he thought was his tooth since it hurt so bad but it was only more blood.

"Feisty and disobedient, no wonder they kicked scum like you out of SOLDIER," his torturer walked around Zack, purposely stepping on Zack's bruised black and blue ankle, causing Zack to grit his teeth tightly in pain.

"Would you look at that, a SOLDIER's body is quite resilient. He's withstanding the pain very well, most others would have passed out by now," another man in the room said, Zack lost count to how many people were in the room exactly.

He could see blood – _his_ blood – all around him, he was sure he was losing a lot of blood.

His eyes slowly moved down to quickly inspect his stomach wound, on his right. The dagger was on the floor, bloody and hot as hell, his wound had stopped bleeding, Zack almost snorted. Those idiots, they didn't know by heating up the blade of the dagger they had seared Zack's wound shut.

It had hurt like a bitch, but at least it was one wound less. A hundred more to go.

Zack growled when his torturer gripped his spiky hair sharply and drew him back, only further putting tremendous strain on Zack's open wounds.

"Listen up SOLDIER boy, I'll be quite frank. Since our superiors don't know we are doing this to you, unfortunately, we can't do this all too often but I do hope that these past months, you've learned something." He roughly let go of Zack's hair

The men all around Zack started to laugh, Zack almost winced when he felt a kick to his badly wounded side.

Then he lifted his head up to look at each one of them.

" _You_ know nothing of pain," Zack spit out the rest of the blood gathering in his mouth, he slowly brought one hand forth so that all the men could see it clearly how it rested on his side as did the other.

They had bound him with ropes, they had cut into Zack's flesh and made him bleed but Zack had managed to free himself in the midst of their distraction of torturing him. How foolish of them.

"Hey…how did he…" the man quieted down, glaring at Zack as he straightened himself to his full height, bleeding wounds and torn flesh and clothes.

"Just because you actually still managed to stand up doesn't mean you are-" the man never finished his sentence.

A dagger was plunged deeply into his head, above his wide open eyes. He fell to the floor with a thud.

"What the-?!" Zack moved.

The former SOLDIER slammed his boot against another man's head, breaking his neck and slamming his whole body against the wall, a loud, sickening cracking noise echoed.

Zack punched another man in the jaw, easily dislocating it, he punched him again in the stomach, kicked his legs and slammed his joined hands on the back of his head. He was dead in seconds.

At long last, Zack turned toward the man that had mainly tortured him for hours and the past few months.

He smirked as he stalked toward him.

"W-w-what? N-no! Get the fuck a-away from me! You damn monster!" the man tried to draw his gun but cried out in pain when Zack's tight grip on his hand broke his fingers. All of them.

"Monster?" Zack grabbed his gun instead, aiming it at him, "You call me a monster? Despite what you have done to me the past few months? What you did to others as well?"

The man crawled to a corner but Zack continued stalking him, suddenly the man who thought he held so much power over these _criminals_ here, was absolutely powerless to stop this one criminal he had tortured for months.

"I-I thought I had broken your will! I thought I broke you! W-why the hell are you standing?! You lost so much blood!" he looked at all the blood on the floor in horror and fear.

Zack craned his aching neck, hissing in pain, "Just like you said, a SOLDIERs body can endure a few things. Though I've been told I was a stubborn bastard a few times," the glow in his eyes intensified.

He licked his bloodied lips, "What are you planning on doing to Cloud? To my friends?" Zack slammed his boot against the man's broken wrist, causing him to scream in pain.

"I-I-I ain't t-telling it t-to-"

"Think over what you will say. It just may be your last,"

The man fell silent, before he looked into Zack's burning eyes, "S-Shinra…t-t-they…w-we…"

Zack applied more pressure, "A-argh! W-we p-p-plan on u-using them as experiments!" Zack rose an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Experiments? What kind of experiments?" he glared straight at the terrified man.

"T-the scientists of S-Shinra want to conduct experiments on them! W-w-with mako! T-t-they put something else in it! I don't know what it is! I s-s-swear! They said it was a s-secret!" the man's bloodied lips trembled

"Who is leading this experiment? And you better answer me on the first try," Zack's grip became crushing

The man hissed sharply in pain, "B-b-b-by the l-lead scientist! I-I-It's Hojo!"

Zack's eyes widened, " _Hojo? What the hell does he want with mako and Cloud and the others? Something else….the bastard said they put something else in the mako…but what?"_ Zack tore himself out of his thoughts

"Do you know how the substance they put in the mako looks like?"

"I-I-I d-don't know! I-I was never allowed to s-see anything!" the man was shaking from fear, terror shining brightly in his wide eyes.

Zack smirked, "I hope you enjoy your time in hell, greet your buddies from me, _scum_ "

 _Snap!_

Zack stood up on shaky legs, supporting himself with one hand against the wall as he left the dead body of his torturer and the rest behind.

He already heard security as they were thundering down the hall, they had probably heard the screams and the commotion by now.

"Tch, I was never fond of guns anyway," Zack threw the gun away, holding his still bleeding side. He blinked back the blood that annoyingly kept seeping over his right eye. Wait…had he been injured on the head? He couldn't remember anymore.

Zack's vision darkened, his steps became even more hazy and wobbly. Zack grit his teeth, blinking away the blood and the black and white spots that were starting to fill his vision.

He saw masses of blue and black…the guards? Zack couldn't quite tell, he could hear shouts, then he felt something slam against the side of his face, his whole body was bleeding and aching.

He opened one eye that wasn't completely busted up. Gray? He was on the floor? Wait…red…his blood…damn it…he was bleeding too much…

The last thing Zack remember was seeing red, worried, red eyes staring into his. Wait…red?

He knew that rare eye color…Tifa…

So his old friend had come to visit him? Oh great…she was going to kick his ass for worrying her…especially in this state…

He smiled and closed his eyes. At least he knew he had friends he could count on, Tifa, Cid, Barret…Cloud…all of them…

It felt good to have friends he could count on.

* * *

 **REVIEWS AND OPINIONS are welcomed!** Don't worry, in later chapters there won't be so much blood and gore! Thanks for reading everyone! **What do you think of the new Zack?**


	4. The Alpha of the Pack

Hello everyone! I hope everyone's doing alright. A little info on what this chapter will be about; Now we know what happened in the past and what happened in the beginning of Zack's imprisonment but what will the future hold for him? I plan on ending his jail time soon don't worry.

 **Quick side note : **Since I'm only 18 and have never been in prison before (and hopefully won't lol ;) ) I have no idea if what I'm writing is even close to the truth, I've just got the references from documentaries I've watched, some not-too-cliché-movies and some of my own thoughts on it. That goes for all the military-themed situations mentioned in all my fanfics, not really personal experience :P If anyone knows it better, feel free to PM me so I can write more realistic stories! Thanks!

 **RATING PROBLEM HELP** **:** This may sound weird but…I have no idea if this story is too "horrific" to be rated T but I'm skeptical if it's suitable for "M" rated. What do you guys say? Too heavy for "T" rated?

 **ANSWERS TO REVIEWS : (from "My Family" story)**

 **Sunflowerspot** **:** Hey bud! Haha Thanks for your review, haven't heard from you in a while huh? ;) I tried writing out the scene as I imagine it would be CLOSE to real life, of course it may be farther from the truth than ever but I tried . I hope you enjoy my new story and the new Zack! :3

* * *

 **Chapter 4: The Alpha of the Pack**

After Tifa had come to visit them, Zack and the others fell into their usual routine, training, trash talking about guys they couldn't stand, thinking over the things they have done, laughing about the good old times when the world didn't plunge into all sorts of crisis…yeah.

The usual routine.

"Thinking of her again, huh?" Barret placed a large dark hand on Zack's broad shoulder in sympathy.

Zack shook his head, turning away from their only available source of light out of a small window with steel bars.

In times like these, Zack found himself often thinking of Aerith, his late girlfriend, how bright and radiant her aura was, her ability to make anyone smile and forget their worries, how she kept annoying him to the roots of his hair and vice versa…how he always worried her when he went on missions for Shinra…

Shinra…

Zack clenched his bare fist, feeling the small cuts and callous' on it from his numerous battles. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, memories of them together flooding his mind. He felt at times that those memories he cherished somewhere deep in his dead, cold heart were the only things that kept him going in this hellhole. His only connection to reality.

Memories of more cheerful and peaceful times. When Shinra hadn't been as powerful, when he hadn't been so stupid to actually join…when he had imagined a sappy future for Aerith and him and a family, with their friends, Cloud being alright and not being even more stupid to follow him into joining SOLDIER…when Tifa and Cloud had started dating and everyone teased them relentlessly, especially Zack himself…

Memories of his friends, how they weren't fighting to survive, how their jobs weren't on the line because of his sorry ass…everything…

Everything went downhill the moment the economy plummeted and Shinra rose to power, nobody knew how, Shinra had been like a deadly snake, waiting patiently in the shadows for an opportunity to strike, then striking precisely and deadly.

At the beginning, SOLDIER had been an independent unit of the military program where young men and women could, in rare cases though, be celebrated as war heroes, where they traveled to places in which the land's militia wasn't as strong, like Kalm and Nibelheim, to protect the people there threatened by enemy forces. SOLDIER had been successful, people had looked up to it, in SOLDIER, it hadn't been important how powerful you were, what mattered was how you used that power to help others.

Then, war broke out. It had been Wutai that had been the first to oppose. They had sought more territory to call their own, had become too greedy in the midst of their wealthy agriculture and rich soil…

Shinra had bought SOLDIER as their own, for a pretty penny as well, and so SOLDIER had become Shinra's, the electric power company's, primary destructive force.

Though because of Shinra, it was like SOLDIER had lost its glory and honor. Every SOLDIER had been taught to fight to protect people, to use their hands as weapons only then when people's lives were endangered, to lift their weapons in the air only to protect and defend, not to cause death and destruction.

The old SOLDIER would have never welcomed a war, they would have tried to solve the issue with Wutai by diplomatic means. Their three most powerful leaders would have made sure of that.

Now the new SOLDIER, a part of Shinra, had welcomed war like an old friend. Many had lost their lives, men and women with families, children were turned to orphans, families ending up on the streets because their only source of income was gone, not enough money to pay for medical bills and treatments…ending only in death and growing poverty.

Zack shook his head, better not to think such dark thoughts. He knew well from experience on what such thoughts could cause in a place like this.

One could quickly lose something more than his pride if one wasn't careful.

* * *

Zack chewed on his meal, eyes twinkling in amusement as he watched Barret pale at his food and Cid how he swore loudly. Jail food wasn't necessarily the best food, sometimes they were skeptical if it was even edible, but it was good enough most days.

The cafeteria ladies, at least those that worked longer there, were pretty rough around the edges. Whoever the criminals they served the food to were, they didn't care much. The newer ones though were more nervous, avoiding eye contact at all costs and making sure not to attract any kind of attention.

It amused Zack to no ends when one of the newer ones found out who he was and practically shook in fear when serving him food.

Zack's glowing blue eyes intimidated even the veteran cooks into quiet submission and fear, none dared to give him a cross look or raise their voice above normal.

Then, one naïve fool thought he could beat _Zack_ into submission.

A softball sized raw potato found itself slammed into Zack's plate, the tray falling noisily to the floor.

"Oops, guess I missed your head,"

"Sorry, I mistook the potato for your head, but guess I'm gonna have to take care of your rolling head myself," Zack announced, his eyes glowing dangerously along with his smile, teeth and all.

The brunet frowned who threw the potato from god knows where, " _Second Class_ " was tattooed on his left forearm. Zack's eyes zeroed in on the tattoo, a frown appearing on his lips, then he met the identical glowing blue eyes of his supposed challenger.

"I heard about you, Zack Fair, SOLDIER First Class," the whole cafeteria was silent, "You rose up the ranks quickly, were called a prodigy even by the best of the best," the eyes narrowed, "Then you became greedy and betrayed SOLDIER, betrayed our people. Guess that happens to wannabe heroes who can't handle the heat huh?" he shook his messy, short brown hair, "Me and my buddies…we looked up to you ever since we became Thirds. Now, they are all dead,"

"Because of you!" Zack was about to get into a defensive position until the chef of the kitchen, the lady in charge, Helga, suddenly stood in front of him.

Unlike many cliché beliefs, Helga was actually well built, she had thick arms, coming from her training but otherwise she wasn't considered chubby, one of the few cooks and cafeteria ladies with a lean, healthy body built.

"I will not allow some ruffian who thinks he's some big shot to create chaos in _my_ cafeteria. Either you take this when it's your time out or you take it with the guards, there's nothing I hate more than cocky bastards who look for trouble," her venomous green eyes narrowed sharply, her tan skin peeking a little from under her uniform.

"Don't stick your nose in other people's business you fucking bitch!" the former Second Class SOLDIER aimed a powerful fist toward Helga's determined face.

Everyone but Barret and Cid had expected for the lady to go flying, however none _but_ Barret and Cid knew Zack Fair well enough.

It was the Second that cried out in pain, with Zack holding his broken fist in his palm.

Zack had shoved Helga out of the way, her blonde pony tail flying as she was pushed out of harm's way by Zack.

"Listen up, Second, I have no idea what Shinra brainwashed into your head and I don't care. But I won't just sit and watch how some kid goes beating up innocent people for my ass," another sickening crack echoed and the Second's knees shook.

Blue glowing eyes narrowed, "Stay away from them and from anyone here who doesn't give you a dirty look got that? This is _my_ party and I'll damn well make sure that it won't get busted up cause of irresponsible pups like you," he released the Second's broken hand, the limb falling limply to the man's side.

"You don't have normal SOLDIER strength, who the fuck are you?" fearful, glowing blue eyes looked into fierce blues.

"Devil to some, angel to others, one would say. I kicked the angels ass long ago and I stopped doing contracts with the devil so I ain't in either category. Call me what ya want, but keep your fingers to yourself. I'm too old to be breaking young bones all the time, don't ya think?" Zack turned around, picked up the tray and roughly shoved it into the bin, grabbing Helga's arm and ordering a cafeteria lady to take care of her.

Zack's glowing blue eyes haunted the former Second, future encounters only ended in half assed fights. The guards had decided to drag the Second to another department, they left Zack alone, they knew he desired freedom far too much to be doing anything rash now.

"You knew this Second shit?" Barret asked the same day the Second had been escorted to another facility.

Cid was on his knees, praying to a deity he had never believed in before to get him out of her as fast a godly possible and get him his precious cigarettes. Cid Highwind wasn't the same without his cigarettes.

He was the classy smoker, smoking either the finer cigarettes or the ones you could buy for a few bucks at a gas station, either way he never tried any heavy things since his youth. And he left it with that. Bad memories that were…

"Praying to your precious cigarette god again Cid?" Barret teased, shaking his head at his friend. Zack looked at Cid, shrugged and joined his friend on the floor, kneeling beside him with his hands clasped together in what he assumed was a praying pose.

Barret's eyes almost bulged out of his head, "What the hell are _you_ prayin' for Fair?! Ya don't even know how to pray!" Barret almost fell out of his bunk bed when Zack hissed 'shhh' and made a shushing motion with one hand.

"You're breaking my concentration Wallace," Zack muttered, taking a deep breath.

"Aha…" Barret slapped a hand to his face, "Figures…I always get stuck with the craziest of weirdos out of the whole bunch…"

"Hey Zack," Cid piped from beside him, eyes still closed.

"Hm,"

"….What are you begging for exactly?" Cid opened an eye to look at the supposedly praying SOLDIER beside him, hell, at least _he_ had damn good reasons to even kneel in the first place.

"Beggin' for a steak, I need some meat in me, do you know how long ago it was I had some half decent meat in me? Or at least something that _looked_ like meat?" Zack opened his eyes and grinned, "Nah, I'm just shitting ya," Cid chuckled while Barret huffed in exasperation.

"It's for my sword actually," his two friends fell silent suddenly. Zack seemed serious all too quickly.

"Your sword huh? You mean the one you…they took away from you in your last battle?" Barret asked carefully, feeling a bit out of place asking his friend, who was a rather private person, such prying questions, even if it was him who opened the discussion topic.

"Yeah, but you can bet your tattooed ass on it that it wasn't my last battle," Zack's grin was enough to convince both Cid and Barret that it indeed, that hadn't been his last battle to fight. If they knew Zack at all, they could count on the fact that if the guy had set his mind to something, he would pursue it relentlessly until he got it, no matter what it was.

If the guy wanted his sword back he would damn well get it back, pronto.

"So…why your sword all of a sudden? Wait…you named it didn't ya? What's it called again…uhh…" Cid rubbed his slightly stubbly chin.

"Buster." Zack replied calmly, his hands falling to his sides, "Actually, it wasn't me that named him." Cid and Barret's eyebrows rose to their hairlines in surprise, Zack was going to reveal something private to them? Oh damn today was meat day alright.

"What? Then who? Why would you let some other guy name your sword?" Barret scratched his head, finding his question valid and not understanding Zack's words at all.

Blue eyes uncharacteristically softened, "My mentor. Buster used to be actually his at the beginning until he bestowed him to me." Zack turned his back to them with his hands in his pockets, "Buster represents my honor and dreams, he presented my mentor's honor and dreams as well. He was his pride and joy," a smile grew on Zack's face, but it vanished just as quickly as it came.

Barret and Cid immediately felt the mood shift, confused over why Zack turned from content to furious in a matter of seconds, there was only one explanation to it; Shinra. Cid out of all people could understand it well too, Shinra had robbed him of his precious wife Shera after all and drove him mad with fury, prompting him to kill one of Shinra's boys when they had killed his wife to squeeze information out of Cid concerning the battle airships.

It didn't fall on deaf ears that Zack had used past tense when referring to his mentor, they wondered how he died, then again Shinra may as well be at fault here too.

Wait…

Zack had said he had been his mentor…that meant…

"Say Zack…was he…was your mentor…was he also a part of SOLDIER?" Cid's throat suddenly felt all too tight, he wasn't usually one to beat around the bush, but he considered his friend's feelings and didn't intend to step out of line because of a poor choice of words.

Zack turned to regard them with a unreadable expression on his handsome face, "He used to be one of the leading generals of SOLDIER, one of the Three," Cid's eyes widened in shock, Barret just looked at his friend in confusion.

Who were "the Three"? Zack and Cid seemed to know them, Cid was definitely shell shocked.

Zack noticed the look of realization pass over Cid's eyes, he knew.

Zack had excused himself to use the bathroom, once Barret made sure the two were alone, he spoke in hushed whispers, "Hey! Cigarette prayer, what were you two talking about? Care to fill an outside in on the whole thing with 'the Three'? Who are those guys?"

Cid sat heavily on his bunk bed, opposite of Barret's, he swallowed before he looked Barret seriously in the eyes, as if confessing a secret of the highest caliber.

The former pilot leaned in to whisper, "The Three of SOLDIER…the three Generals that led SOLDIER together before Shinra took control…"

"The Silver General, Sephiroth, a.k.a the 'Super SOLDIER' or 'Project S'. The Heart of SOLDIER, Angeal Hewley, a.k.a 'Project H' and the Red Commander, Genesis Rhapsodos, a.k.a 'Project G'."

"Those three were the strongest men in SOLDIER, the most powerful of all. You either look up to them or fear them."

Barret's mouth fell open and both men froze when they heard the serious voice of their friend sound in the cell, "That's right. But that's not all to them. Want me to tell you a bedtime story?"

Zack was leaning against the wall, a dangerous smirk on his lips as his eyes glowed almost fiercely so.

All the rumors centering around Zack Cid had ever heard suddenly echoed in his head.

 _Watch out for him, he's as dangerous as they get._

 _He's bad news Cid, I wouldn't pet the wolf's fur if I knew the wolf would kill me._

 _You know the saying, 'wolf in sheep's clothing'? Hell, he's the lion clad in wolf's fur!_

 _He'll kill you in your sleep without even missing a beat!_

 _Those eyes don't get all of 'em foot troops ya know? That title and the eyes, the eyes what makes him look dangerous, it's the title that proves it._

 _Stay away from him, even the most experienced of my men don't dare to provoke his anger. He may be on the side of the angels, but he's worse than the devil, Cid._

And suddenly Cid understood why all his previous friends were so deathly afraid of Zack Fair, a man he trusted deeply and considered one of his closest and most mysterious friends.

 _Those are the eyes of a killer._

A SOLDIER trademark.

Those who saw those eyes were the last thing they ever saw again.

Zack's grin that rivaled the devil's remained as he told the tale of three legendary warriors who were gone but never forgotten.

* * *

 **Good? Bad? Could be better? PLEASE** leave your opinions and reviews for me! I'll continue the story if it's worth the read! :)


	5. Green in Sharp, Pointy Things

Well, I'm back after a long time! Apologies for the wait! :)

 **sunflowerspot:** Eheh, sorry for the long wait! I hope you like this chapter! :) And thanks again for the help with the rating problem ^^

Enjoy!

 **Chapter 5: Green in Sharp, Pointy Things**

 _7 years ago..._

"Angeal!" a 25-year-old Zack Fair shouted happily with a grin, waving at his mentor and close friend.

Angeal smiled back and waved, waiting for Zack to jog up to him as he observed the trainees, "Zack, what is it?"

Zack shook his head, smiling, "Nothing, just wanted to see how the training is going," Zack looked at the many trainees, men and women, going through the training program to be prepared for joining SOLDIER and the evaluation exam.

Angeal nodded in approval, "They are good, I think they will be good SOLDIERs in the near future," Angeal smiled before he remembered something," Before I forget, Sephiroth has requested to speak with you," Zack rose an eyebrow, resting a hand on his hip.

"Really? What does the silver diva want now? I was in his office a minute ago!" Zack shook his head, grinning at Angeal, "Well, I'm off, I'll see you later at lunch!" he waved at the older man and headed in the direction towards Sephiroth's office.

He greeted some of his colleagues on the way, smiling charmingly at a small group of female SOLDIERs and opening the door for them, they only chuckled and smiled at him, thanking him.

Zack winked at them in a friendly manner and went inside the elevator, pressing the button with the number "6" on it to get him to the highest floor.

They had expanded SOLDIERs facilities, meaning bigger training grounds, more rooms for theoretical and strategy lessons and remodeling the main building to a few stories higher, with more room inside and barracks for the SOLDIERs inhabiting it. They created two separate buildings, one for the trainees under supervision of a few experienced SOLDIERs and one where the "elite" reside as well as the science department.

Zack stepped out once the elevator doors opened with a short ring, smiling at Sephiroth's personal secretary before knocking on the door where the name " _Sephiroth, SOLDIER First Class"_ was written in silver. Usually the standard colors for engraved names on doors for SOLDIERs were white on a black background, but since they were First Classes, they had a few more privileges than the rest.

"Come in," Sephiroth's formal voice sounded, slightly muffled from behind the door. Zack turned the knob and entered, adding a little salute for formalities' sake after he closed the door behind him.

To his surprise, Genesis was in there too.

Genesis Rhapsodos, SOLDIER First Class, was known for his amazing skills with anything concerning explosives and fire power, literally fire. The man was known for his fiery temper, quick wit and sharp tongue, as well as his grace and strength in battle, the man looked like he was practically flying in the battlefield whenever he fought.

"I see the pup found his way to the alpha dog's house," Genesis teased, winking at Zack with a small smirk.

Zack was long used to Genesis' teasing remarks, the guy was often playful and liked to joke, especially poking fun at his friends.

"Only because I followed the stench of gun powder and coal," Zack tapped his nose, smirking playfully at Genesis when the older man chuckled and beckoned him to sit.

"Sephiroth," Zack nodded to his superior, mildly amused at the fact that the silver haired general looked quite exasperated and annoyed, most probably due to Genesis' work.

"Zack," he greeted back formally, clasping his hands together on the table, his sharp green/blue eyes zeroing in on Genesis, "Do you mind?"

Genesis lifted his boots in the air and settled them on the desk with a smug grin, "Not at all, thanks, my feet were getting itchy," a playful twinkle was in Genesis' identical blue eyes at Sephiroth's growing irritation.

He roughly shoved Genesis legs off his desk, "I meant for you to get out, now. I need to speak with Zack alone," when Genesis stood, Sephiroth added with a light joking note, "And don't come in here again before you clean your boots on my door mat!"

"Yes mom, will do, mom," Genesis mockingly saluted his best friend and left the office, leaving it oddly silent without his radiant presence.

Zack shook his head at the older men, amused as he tried to imagine how they were as teenagers or slightly younger, how they all bickered with each-other and got on each-other's nerves.

It was a miracle how Sephiroth didn't kick Genesis' ass out whenever the unruly man stepped foot into his office, truly. Sephiroth was a perfectionist on and off the battlefield, his office was flawless, clean, very tidy and all drawers and closed documents were labeled and dated. His room carried the same pattern. Sephiroth liked it clean and tidy, the easiest way to invoke his wrath was to cause chaos in either his office or his room.

Genesis was the complete opposite, he liked it slightly messy, while he didn't live like a crack addict on the streets, clothes would randomly be on the floor or the back of his couch in his room, at times his bed wouldn't be made..etc...etc. His office was very much the same, he had nothing labeled, except any classified documents. A thin layer of dust would be found on drawers or the like Genesis didn't often need or looked at.

Angeal was very similar to Sephiroth in that respect. His office and room were always clean and tidy, he had many plants in his office, especially in his room. Angeal often said how they would calm him and remind him that there was something else beside work, the battlefield and SOLDIER. Plants represent life and growth, that would help Angeal meditate in his room often enough. Genesis would often call him crazy or a 'plant lover' but Angeal would only reprimand him calmly or deliver a fist in his shoulder for it.

"So, you said you wanted to talk about something? Must be something big since you kicked Genesis out. Wait...am I in trouble? I swear I didn't put that snake in your bath tub that was Genesis!" Zack flailed his arms, mentally cursing Genesis for his wicked pranks.

"A snake in my bath tub? What are you-you know what, forget it, let's not...just..." Sephiroth sighed, rubbing his forehead, feeling a pounding headache coming on, fast, "Let's not talk about Genesis defiling my room again,"

Zack scratched the back of his head in embarrassment before he cleared his throat when Sephiroth started talking again; "You are in no trouble Zack, the matter I must discuss with you is of utmost importance. I've already filled in Angeal and Genesis on the matter, I wanted to speak with you in private with no..disturbances," he grimaced at the thought of Genesis constantly annoying him.

Zack's full attention was on Sephiroth, "Well, what's the deal?"

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed, "Surely you must have noticed that the science department is in dire need of...scientists?" to Zack, it seemed like Sephiroth was choosing his words carefully, something he didn't often do, except if it was about...delicate matters. Sephiroth was blunt and hated to sugar coat things, preferring to voice them as they were.

Zack rose an eyebrow, thinking for a moment, "Yeah, why? Let me guess, Hollander fired them because they were better than him?" Zack released a short laugh, though he turned serious when he noticed just how serious Sephiroth was.

"Hojo said he needed new men for his...experiments. We both know Hojo is insane, simply put. Hollander is not too far off either. He refuses to reveal any important details about this experiment of his, he only said he required more men to work under him." Zack rose an eyebrow.

"I see, but why would that be unnerving? Sure, Hojo is mentally unstable but he usually says he would do some suspicious experiments, that's not necessarily unusual," Zack didn't understand what Sephiroth was getting at.

"Hojo said he would dismiss the monthly mako injection process," Zack's eyes widened.

"Oh..." he remained silent for a moment, "Yeah, _that's_ unnerving," Sephiroth's eyes narrowed.

"We need to find out why Zack, or rather, you need to. I think you are the only one Hojo hasn't met yet, so he doesn't know how you look like, I would advise you though to avoid stating your name and title. There is no one here in SOLDIER that hasn't at least heard of you, if Hojo learns of your name and title he will be all the more reluctant to reveal anything," Sephiroth's demeanor unsettled Zack to say the least.

"I don't think it will work Sephiroth. If Hojo won't even answer to us then he surely won't entrust something he considers important to anyone of lower status. I don't even think Hollander knows what's up," Zack crossed his arms, eyebrows raised up skeptically.

Sephiroth sighed, "It's worth a shot, we have no knowledge what Hojo is up to and that leaves me restless. We have to try anything, Angeal, Genesis and I tried to interrogate Hojo but he refuses to reveal any information to us."

Hojo, the lead scientist of the science department, originally SOLDIER didn't have any science department, it was a medical one until they decided that they needed scientists for whatever reason. The result; the science and medical department merged.

SOLDIERs of higher status, like First and a select few of Seconds, get monthly mako shots injected into their blood stream. Mako is a form of greenish liquid which offers humans enhanced strength, stamina and health. SOLDIERs with mako are mostly immune to illnesses such as asthma but they were still susceptible to becoming ill like any other person. They also recover faster from illnesses unlike normal people and their metabolism is twice faster.

The iconic blue eyes that can only be associated to SOLDIER is because of that mako, glowing blue eyes with a slight greenish hue in the irises. That's how everyone knew someone was from SOLDIER, because of the uniform and the glowing blue eyes.

Zack had tried to deceive Hojo and gain access to the lab, but to no avail. Another scientist had recognized Zack and Hojo immediately refused to grant him access to the lab any longer.

Nobody knew outside of the science lab what Hojo was up to.

When Shinra had bought SOLDIER and encouraged Hojo's experiments and mad mind, it only grew worse.

Zack never would have imagined that so many things would have gone wrong so drastically.

Sephiroth, Angeal and Genesis have been officially reported in files as M.I.A, but Zack knew they were either dead or held hostage somewhere. He believed they were dead, since they would rather die than reveal anything about SOLDIER.

Their prowess in battle had been unmeasured, their loyalty and honor never strayed or wavered...

And maybe that was what killed them in the end.

* * *

Zack had told Cid and Barret the truth, the thing with Hojo and SOLDIER. To his surprise they stayed with him and swore they would help him once they get out.

Zack, ever the stubborn optimist, tried to keep his spirits up but at times it was quite difficult.

Prison changed and shaped a person in so many ways. They had tried time and time again to look deeper into his soul with therapy sessions, asking him constantly the same questions.

' _Why did you kill them?', 'Do you desire to kill yourself?', 'Why did you betray your own men?', 'How many people did you exactly kill?'_ and the worst of them all, ' _Do you have something to do with the missing SOLDIER Firsts?'_

The last question in particular never failed to set him on edge, grabbing the stupid therapist by his shirt collar and hollering at him angrily how he would never do such a thing to his friends. They had proclaimed him as too dangerous so they set him in a isolation cell for the first few months. But when they learned that Cid and Barret were never harmed by him and were even the only people in that prison on that godforsaken island who were his friends, they allowed Zack to share a cell with them, unless he misbehaved, then he would go to a isolation room for several months to 'cool off'.

Today, after another month, they finally allowed them to go outside and train a little. This prison in particular was known to be cruel to its prisoners, Zack though, wouldn't let himself get controlled by these bunch of idiots.

He knew better, he experienced far worse than what they would do to him here, he survived those things and could tell stories these guards would only dream of telling and living.

Zack sparred with Barret, being closely monitored by eight guards. Four to subdue Barret and four to control Zack, should they 'go wild'. It usually took far more men to even hope to subdue Zack but since Zack wanted to get out of this hellhole as soon as he could, he chose to be obedient and peaceful, even helping out in prison whenever possible.

He was commonly viewed and called an enigma, a man as dangerous and skilled as himself, a criminal who killed so many people, would be a goody two shoes in prison...heh.

Zack drank a small bottle of water, wiping his sweaty forehead, thankful for the breeze. It was common to be windy, especially out here at sea, it was a relief from the blazing sun.

"Hey, are you the man people call 'Fair' around here?" a young male voice asked Zack from behind him.

"You mean 'Fair' like 'fair skin' or 'fair hair'? I have black hair ya see and I'm a little on the tan side," Zack didn't bother turning around but noticed Barret tensing a few feet away from him and wondered why.

"I need a Zack Fair,"

Zack rolled his eyes, people couldn't even joke anymore. He straightened up, dusting off his pants before turning to regard the man standing before him.

He looked like he came from Modeoheim or Valstedd ( **A/N: "Valstedd" for lack of a better name is a fictional town far up north, something like Scandinavia in the RL)** with his fair complexion, blue eyes, lean build and blonde, light hair.

"Who wants to know?" Zack didn't bother with a fake smile, he hated them like the pest. He usually showed what he felt; his blue eyes narrowed. The man had bloodshot eyes, cracked, dry lips, something wasn't quite right.

"The name's Veld, listen, l-listen," he came closer to Zack, whispering now, "I got a tip from some chick outside, said something that you were her friend. Dark brown hair, pretty babe, busty, pretty red eyes, sound familiar?" Zack's eyes narrowed further, he didn't like how this guy was describing Tifa at all.

"Yeah, what did she say?" he hadn't expected for Tifa to contact them so soon, much less through a inmate.

Veld fidgeted around and Zack could see how bloodshot his eyes truly were, sand dry lips, paler skin than normal, his veins were bulging unnaturally; drugs. Zack had more often seen them than he would have liked and he couldn't understand how someone could throw their life away like that and poison themselves, it was like pure torture.

"Told me to tell you she's got some plan. Some plan. Don't know what plan. Said you have to be patient a little longer, just a little longer." He came even closer to Zack, "So…have any idea what that plan is? Hey, maybe we can work together ya know? I can get out and get back to my babies, I can't get any stuff in here, they won't let me," his hands were shaking.

Zack wondered why they let former drug addicts in the same department such as them now, they had special institutions for them to cure them, what the hell were they doing here? This was one of the toughest prisons Zack had heard of, why were drug addicts here?

"What the hell are you junkies doing here? You got your own damn departments to take care of you," Zack crossed his muscled arms, Veld's eyes were briefly drawn to the " _First Class_ " tattoo before he nervously averted his gaze.

"Pff, have no idea, not an idea. Dumped me here after couple of friends o' mine told me they burned down the clinic, heh, fuckers got what they deserved for stealin' my babies from me," Zack snorted in disgust, he never liked drugs. He may enjoy a beer here and there but he was never too fond of those drugs or alcohol, they were bad news.

"They? Who's 'they'?" Veld looked afraid now, Zack had no idea why, as if someone was watching them, someone dangerous.

"Your company man, your company. Burned down the building. H-have to wait to make new one, burned down a few others t-too, don't know why, don't know why," his hands were shaking stronger, his eyes dilating strongly.

Glowing blue eyes widened, "What? Burned down? Shinra burned down buildings? For drug addicts? Why the hell should I believe a scumbag like you who doesn't even know how many fingers he's got on one hand?" Zack was angry, his glowing blue eyes boring into Veld's scared ones.

"H-hey, hey, listen SOLDIER boy, searching for no trouble, no trouble at all. Just sayin' what I heard. My….my buddies…they said something…something about some dudes in white, plan on making new buildings, clinics or such. But they didn't burn down all clinics, just a few, don't know why."

Zack's eyes narrowed, " _Dudes in white? Wait…he said Shinra did that…white clad dudes in Shinra…scientists?! Hojo? What the hell?!"_

This time, Zack got closer and grabbed Veld's collar, lifting him slightly up, suspending him in mid-air, Zack snarled his next words, "Tell me everything you know. You said something about men in white, how many were there? Did your friends hear what they were talking about?" he _had_ to know.

Veld smiled wickedly, "N-no, no, first g-give me something, I-I ain't talkin' without getting s-some," he held out a shaking hand, his eyes dilated and wicked.

Zack snorted in disgust, slapping his hand away roughly, his eyes furious, "You really think I have fucking drugs on me?! Pull yourself together and tell me what I want to know or I'll turn you in to the guards and they will throw you to these shits, trust me, you don't want to get to know them on a personal level," Zack hoped his threat was clear. Inmates didn't treat drug addicts kindly, especially not in this prison.

Zack heard they were, along with homosexuals, one of the most common prisoners to get subjected to rape and brutal torture. Something Zack strongly was against, it didn't matter that he killed the bad guys, even if they were people, Zack couldn't believe how people encouraged such vile acts.

Veld was sweating, "M-Many, there were many. Many of them lab c-coats walking around, many of 'em. They were talking, t-talking like the top dogs out there, top dogs. Something about experiments, p-pretty little rainbow colors…"

Shit. Zack didn't need him going delusional now from lack of drugs.

"Hey! Tell me what did they say?" Zack's grip tightened, his gaze desperate.

Veld's eyes blinked rapidly, his pupils dancing, "Experiments…rainbow colors…there was green…plenty of green…green in people…sharp, pointy things…in people…green in sharp, pointy things…" he was a goner. Damn it.

Wait…

Zack let Veld go, " _Wait a minute…green….maybe he means mako? 'Green in people'? That doesn't make any sense…green in people…wait…sharp, pointy things? Sharp….pointy…what could that…Shit! Green…that's mako! Sharp, pointy things are fucking injections! They're giving mako shots to people?! To civils?!"_

Zack quickly jogged up to Barret, "Barret!"

"What is it porcupine?" Zack would have punched him if the situation wasn't serious.

"Barret, I know what the hell Hojo is trying to do." He leaned in to whisper in Barret's ear, "Hojo's planning on infusing mako into civilians, Shinra burned down and built several buildings to store mako and inject it into people. They may use a real hospital as cover,"

Barret rose an eyebrow skeptically, "What? Do you know what you are talking about?! How the hell do you know that shit?" he looked skeptically at his tense friend.

"Tifa sent some drug addict to me to deliver me a message about some plan, he told me that some of his drug buddies saw how Hojo and the rest burning down several clinics and rebuilding new ones or using some old ones to do something there. He's injecting mako into normal people!" Zack snarled, his eyes blazing.

"Shit," Barret swore, slamming his fist on his knee, "He'll poison the entire town or even country if he dreams big!"

"Not if I'm still breathing," Zack was sure of it, he was.

"Ya can't even set one foot outside of this fence without alerting the entire country about it," Barret rose a skeptical eyebrow, crossing his arms, calling Cid over.

Zack smirked, "I've escaped from the lab didn't I?" he rolled his shoulders, "This should be a cinch,"

He grinned, his mako blue eyes glowing.

Thanks for reading the story! Suggestions and critics are welcome! :)


	6. The Escape Plan

**Hi!** I'm back! I'm not sure how many people read this story but I'm glad either way if the ones that do enjoy this little modern day prison drama AU. ;)

 **Enjoy everyone!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: The Escape Plan**

Barret rested a fist on his knee, sitting cross-legged on the hard floor of his cell as he regarded his best friend with a frown, "So...what's your brilliant plan? Beat all of these asses to a pulp and run?"

Cid chuckled, eager to hear Zack's answer.

The man himself was leaning his back against the wall, shooting the door a quick glance before turning his attention to his friends to elaborate, "I was thinking of a smoother exit," Zack smirked.

"There is a underground tube system located about six feet beneath this cobble stone layer. The cobble stone layer itself is about one and a half feet deep, so we will need to do some digging." Barret and Cid looked at Zack as if he were insane, then burst out laughing.

"Sorry man, but you do know this ain't like in the movies right? We can't just start digging here for gold and not get caught by those damn guards no matter how stupid they are, you are being kept under constant watch, no way it will work," Cid explained with crossed arms, shaking his head.

The smirk Zack still wore unnerved Cid and Barret, he had something else planned.

"Who said I was gonna stay here with you guys?"

Barret's eyes widened, "Wait a damn minute...ya don't mean...no way man! No way in hell! Ya can't just do shit and risk getting sent to the isolation cell!" his face was furious as he stood up and towered over his friend, trying to convince him to drop the crazy idea.

Zack smiled and patted Barret's shoulder leisurely, "Why not? I went there a couple of times anyway, what's another one? Besides, once I'm out of here, they won't monitor you two as strongly anymore, you can cover up better and think of a better way on how to escape. You know Barry right? From block C? I heard he's got some handy tools, don't ask where the hell he hid them, just make sure ya clean them nice and shiny and use them to get us outta here,"

Cid paled and rubbed his face in exasperation, "Oh kids these days...gettin' way too creative for my imagination..." he certainly did _not_ want to know where Barry the "Tool Specialist" hid his equipment despite the thorough controls.

Zack coughed into his hand, "Right, so ladies, any questions?" he crossed his arms, waiting patiently.

Barret frowned, shooting his friend a disturbed look, "Ok...but how are we supposed to execute everything? It will take us _months_ to even break the stone let alone crack the tube system!" Barret raised his arms in the air in exasperation, irritation all over his face at the stupid plan.

Zack sighed, "Barret...your blood pressure..." he semi-jokingly reminded his friend, the big man immediately pointing a accusing finger at him.

"Do not talk about my blood pressure right now! I don't care! I'm sayin' we are all crazy for thinkin' we can escape!" he grumpily sat down on his bed, looking like a irritated child throwing a temper tantrum.

"Alright, how about this, you guys try to strike a deal with Barry and the rest, if they want to escape too let them, the more the merrier right?" Zack grinned, shrugging when Barret offered no response.

Cid rubbed his stubbly chin, "Hm..I can't help but agree with the tin can over there... The plan is far too risky and reckless Zack...besides we are on a freaking island, even if we do manage to escape the building, how do you think will we escape the island?" grey blue eyes turned to look at electrifying blue.

"I've got friends in high places," Zack commented off handily, a small smirk covering his handsome face, "I'll figure something out,"

* * *

Another bell chime signaled the arrival of a new customer and Tifa smiled politely, "Hello, welcome to Seventh Heaven-"

She recognized the man that had strolled in silently and smiled, catching herself, "Oh, it's you,"

The man grunted as if in greeting, taking a seat in what many of the regulars, or the regulars that Tifa still managed to keep, would label as "his spot". It was in front of the bar counter but also allowed some privacy to the patron from prying eyes. A perfect spot for someone like him.

"So, you're on break?" Tifa asked conversationally, the small kind smile still on her lips.

The man's penetrating blue gaze never failed to awaken something within her that Tifa liked to call a sense of familiarity but also a sense of longing, longing to keep him safe and away from all those people that would hunt him down for those too electrifying blue eyes of his with the too bright glow.

"Just delivered my last delivery in Kalm, I've taken the day off to check on Fenrir, his engine sounded funny earlier," Tifa found it odd, considering what amount of meticulous, almost obsessed care his rider took of the monstrous motorcycle.

"I see," there was a moment of silence, before Tifa spoke again, "Would you like anything to drink? I'm not very busy now," she released a small laugh, which sounded pleasant to his ears, but he turned his head to stare outside.

"No, thanks," the small frown on her face was never seen by him as Tifa turned around to polish at the already scrubbed clean counter behind her, her fingers swift and strong against the clean wood.

She noticed the sound him standing up, noticed how his footsteps grew louder when he passed by the counter and she noticed how they faded when he opened another door leading to the garage at the back.

She noticed how her fingers started slowly but surely aching from scrubbing the squeaky clean counter top for too long, she noticed how moisture fell on the tips of her bent fingers that wasn't from the damp cloth in her hand, she noticed how the faint stinging in her eyes got stronger the harder she tried to suppress it.

She also noticed her vision becoming blurry as she tried furiously rubbing at her eyes, quickly composing herself just as the next customers entered the bar and she greeted them with a bright, "Hello, welcome to Seventh Heaven!"

* * *

"It's been years Fair...I don't think we will get outta this hellhole," Barret slumped his large shoulders, kicking a small pebble into the dusty corner.

Zack rolled his eyes and slapped the back of his head, "What was that a few hours ago about a plan hm?" he pointedly glared at both Cid and Barret, the former Shinra pilot was leaning against the wall on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Hey, you started it porcupine, we're just being realistic," Cid commented, locking gazes with Zack.

The former SOLDIER sighed, "Realism brought me nowhere before. 'Sides, I said I had friends in high places, didn't I?" his grin was anything but friendly.

Barret rose an eyebrow, "And when are those 'friends' of yers gonna come and bust us out huh?" Zack's gaze was fierce as he smirked mysteriously at his two friends.

"We've waited all these years, we can wait just a bit more-"

"Yo!" the unfamiliar voice of a man suddenly pierced the prison halls and almost immediately, loud noises of protest rang out as some prisoners grumbled about not getting to see any women strolling through here ever since Tifa's last visit, which had been a few months ago already.

Zack rose an eyebrow in question, mildly curious to find the voice seemed just a bit familiar...

"Hey! Guards! Get that stupid door outta my way, yo!" two guards came rushing to the front, Zack craned his neck to see, but all he saw was the guard's back as they conversed with whoever was paying a visit.

"You boys got a 'Zack Fair' here?" the unknown man asked and Zack swore one of the guards rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Listen sir, if you're here for a visit, visiting hours are already-" the guard was rudely cut off.

"Oh, I'm not here to visit," there was a moment of silence and Zack's enhanced senses picked up on some sort of shuffling, cloth being pushed aside, perhaps a jacket and the suddenly rigid posture the guard's back had taken on after the sound was gone.

"E-excuse us, we did not know, sir," the guards unlocked the door to the short hallway leading to Zack's cell and Zack heard _two_ pairs of footsteps coming closer to their cell.

He had no knowledge of someone visiting him and since it wasn't a woman, it couldn't be for some nonexistent child or marriage. Just who wanted to see him?

There was a shock of wild red hair followed by a masculine but slender frame dressed in black and white, what appeared to be a iron rod secured at the man's hip and familiar mischievous electric blue eyes nearly the same glow as his came into view and it hit Zack with a _bam_ on who was standing in front of his cell.

"Reno...?" he hadn't seen him in years, he had thought the redhead may have not survived Shinra or simply continued on his work like nothing ever happened. If one would be counted as unpredictable, it would be him.

"Well? Release him," Reno motioned with his head towards the cell door imprisoning Zack and the others and the shorter of the guards hesitantly grabbed his keys and unlocked it, slowly opening it with a soft rattle of keys.

"New haircut?" the redhead grinned casually, the same Cheshire grin Zack remembered well during one of their encounters.

"What the...how did...?" he was incapable of forming coherent words as the taller, dark skinned male beside him spoke lowly.

"You're free now Zack," Rude nodded, gesturing to come out.

Slowly, as if falling prey to a dream, Zack took one step at a time, warily watching the nervous guards, who themselves couldn't quite believe what was happening before their very eyes.

"Hey, Zack, who the hell are these suits?" Barret clamped a hand on Zack's broad shoulder and Rude frowned behind his sunglasses.

Cid let out a venomous hiss, " _Turks_ , shoulda known," he spat on the ground, eyes narrowing at the two men.

Reno's easy grin dropped, "Oi..." Reno took a step forward, azure eyes glowing almost ominously, "I suggest being a bit nicer to the guys who just bought your ticket to freedom," his eyes trailed over Barret and landed on Cid, "Ex- Shinra pilot," Cid growled lowly in his throat, his hands itching to curl around his staff and slam it down on the redhead.

Zack's voice interrupted their thoughts, "What do you mean we are free? How? I've got a life sentence, Reno," he glared at him suspiciously.

"Hey, let's not talk about this here yo," with a meaningful look at the stunned guards, Reno gestured towards the exit and Zack didn't hesitate this time, walking in time with Reno's casual strides as Barret and Cid followed behind him, Rude taking the rear.

There were shouts and hushes whispers about the weird two suits taking Zack somewhere, loud wails of disapproval of taking away one of their only sources of entertainment and...there were shouts of SOLDIER and how scum should go where they belong.

But Zack didn't pay any attention to any of them, his gaze was far too focused on the door in front of him, as they slowly opened to allow the lights from the other room to fall upon his face.

The second guard at the door approached him and unchained his wrists and as the heavy chain fell at his feet, so did the caged animal inside of him break free of its restraints with a roar.

* * *

 _Dear Prez,_

 _I'm sure you heard of me getting caged in, huh? No surprise there, I guess, since you were the one issuing the order, after all._

 _Anyway, after I slaughtered your men,_ _ **my**_ _men, I wanted your head next, but the bluebottles caught up to me and it seems like I've got a life sentence, you wouldn't happen to have something to do with that do you? Or maybe it's simply the number of my kills that got me here, either way the beds aren't the most comfortable and I detest the inmates here who think they can play me like an' instrument just because they're older and smellier than me._

 _I haven't been here long, maybe a year or two, maybe more, but there didn't go a day by where I didn't think of killing you, in any way humanly possible. I've thought of using tools, but that would seem very impersonal considering our ample history together, and I'm more comfortable with using my hands and sword anyway. By the way, where did you hide Buster, huh? Haven't seen my old companion in a long, long while. I hope you didn't get rid of him, because I would pay you back double._

 _Anyway, hope you have a nice day in your stuffy office. Because once I'm out of here and coming to get you, all you'll be seeing is red and black, Prez._

 _Red and black._

 _From Inmate # 19977FF Zachary Fair, letter to the esteemed President of the Electric Power Company ShinRa, 2005._

After grabbing his belongings from a small, see through plastic container and stuffing them inside a duffel bag they gave him, Zack was well on his way to freedom.

Shooting a look at the nervous-looking guards, he smiled, waving a hand as he turned his back to them, letting his words hang heavy in the air, "Don't worry, I won't cause too much trouble while I'm out," his chuckle sent shivers racing down their spines, even to the seasoned guards who worked in prisons for years and encountered all sorts of savages and psychopaths, this one was by far the most brutal one.

The older of the guards went through a list of what he knew of the inmate who has just gained his ticket to freedom, counting down in his head.

 _"_ _Full name: Zackary "Zack" Fair_

 _Occupation: First Class SOLDIER_

 _Company: Shinra Electric Power Company, SOLDIER Division_

 _Age: 24_

 _Gender: Male_

 _Height: 6'3", 1, 85cm_

 _Eye color: Blue...mako eyes_

 _Birthhome: Gongaga_

 _Status: Alive_

The guard closed his eyes and turned around, his younger colleague nearly tripping over his own two feet when he caught up to him, "Um but s-sir! Can we allow this? That man has a life sentence!"

He didn't bother looking at him, merely taking out the familiar sleek metal of his lighter and lightning the cigarette he retrieved from his bronze case, eyes darkening as he took a long drag and blew out the deadly smoke that gathered in his field of vision, "It's an order from the higher ups, there's nothing we can do,"

The younger officer looked apprehensive, "But who were those people? The higher ups?"

He smirked slowly, "Yeah...they call themselves _Turks_...if you've heard of Shinra and SOLDIER, you had to hear about the Turks..." he took in a long drag again, "Some say they're even more dangerous than those SOLDIER members..."

He didn't bother looking back, the prison would soon turn to normal after a few weeks passed with Fair's absence. Many inmates have grown accustomed to him, even the ones that feared him or hated his guts, he couldn't put his finger on it, but somehow...Fair's made an impact on these criminals here.

"Well? Let's get to work, these inmates aren't going to keep themselves in line,"

The younger man promptly followed the seasoned guard, taking note of how his once proud shoulders were now slumped.

* * *

Blue and white, those were the colors Zack saw when he looked up at the sky, closer than he felt he ever was before.

Now flying in Reno's helicopter, back to what he assumed Shinra HQ, he took the opportunity to dress himself. He hadn't bothered getting dressed within the prison, he wouldn't have survived any longer in that hellhole than was necessary.

Opening the side window and throwing the clothes that labeled him as inmate number _19977FF_ into the ocean beneath the flying helicopter, Reno turned his head slightly to the side, watching Zack through the rear mirror, "What? Not keeping it as a souvenir?" he rose an eyebrow, tone playful.

His expressions grew serious at Zack's uncanny silence, "Oh come on Fair-"

"I keep things from my friends as souvenirs, not my torturers," his gaze was a startling shock of blue, boring so deeply into Reno's own mako blue eyes that the pilot adjusted is shades to land on his nose, breaking the uncomfortable stare down.

"Hm...good call," Rude chose to lightly kick Reno from beside him and the redhead rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah..."

Zack buckled up his pants and adjusted his duty boots, feeling the oddly familiar cloth he used to wear so long ago feel slightly alien on his skin after wearing the prison uniform for all this time.

"You alright?" it was Barret that asked, pulling his mesh shirt over his broad shoulders, Cid behind him adjusting his belt.

Zack pulled his dark blue sleeveless sweater over his head, running a hand through his unkempt hair absentmindedly, "Mhm,"

All three former inmates chose to remain silent until Cid decided to break the silence after an hour of flight, "So, you're taking us back to Shinra HQ, huh?" he sounded dejected, as if being deployed into another hellhole after just coming out of one.

He was not far behind from the truth.

This time, Rude answered, "No," after further silence from him, Zack decided to prod a little.

"...Where are we going then?"

Reno was the one to answer that question, "A little place you guys know well," Zack's eyebrows rose questioningly, but he chose not to comment, "Look for yourself,"

At Reno's prompt, all three former inmates looked through the windows of the helicopter to look down. Instead of the vast, blue ocean greeting them, it were the familiar roofs of the Midgar, flying past them at relatively high speed.

Zack's eyes widened when he realized just where Reno was taking them.

Seventh Heaven.

 **See you in the next chapter! Hopefully I'll manage to update sooner! Thank you for reading and reviewing! :)**


	7. Toy SOLDIER

**Hello everyone!** Thanks for reading my story and I hope this chapter won't be too boring! :)

 **ANSWERS TO REVIEWS:**

 **Whitney:** Thank you Whitney for always reading and reviewing! :) It means a lot to me seeing these reviews :3 I'm sorry that not much happened in this chapter, but the next one will be packed full of new things and events, that's why this one is so plain ^^

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Toy SOLDIER**

It was Seventh Heaven alright, but Zack felt a weird sense of danger filling him that was making his skin crawl. He lifted a hand automatically to grasp at thin air, remembering he didn't have his sword strapped on.

He frowned, it seemed like he would, as much as his whole body was protesting, have to trust Reno and Rude as the two men approached the front door to the bar and gestured for Zack to go first.

Sharing a skeptical look with his friends, Zack braced himself and pushed open the door and suddenly, he realized why his stomach was flipping uncomfortably and his senses tingling uncontrollably.

The rest of the Turks were seated at the table in front of the bar, Tifa keeping a close eye on them as she pretended to wipe the counter, locking gazes with Zack. He watched her eyes widen in surprise at seeing him, in his old SOLDIER garb no less, but more importantly, without shackles and chains robbing him of his freedom.

Cid whistled lowly, glaring at the suits, "Tch, now that's what I call a welcome party, eh?" He spat, eyes ablaze with a deep anger for destroying his life along with his friends.

Zack's eyes narrowed, mako blues glowing even brighter, "How did you know where I was? According to Shinra, I'm dead," Zack looked every bit the formidable, lethal First Class he was years ago. A body that went through trial and error, retaining its fit physique, coupled with his glowing mako eyes and the dangerous look about him made for one very disturbing picture.

Reno decided to butt in, intent on adding to the pile leisurely, "Yeah and according to Shinra, _we_ should be dead too," Zack rose an eyebrow at the new piece of information,

"Just what is going on here, Reno? What happened after I got captured?" Zack's question was met with silence as the man snorted. Zack looked back at the people sitting in the booth, but they remained silent, he could have sworn he recognized one of them...

Zack's intimidating posture didn't deter the second in command, the answer was calm, "Shinra collapsed," his voice was even but there was apparent distress in his eyes.

From the corner of his eyes, he could see Tifa stopped moving, listening to their conversation.

" _What?"_ Barret, Cid and Zack all simultaneously asked, eyes wide in disbelief.

Reno shifted his weight looking at Zack directly, "The president had died years back in a explosion caused by a malfunction within the mako reactor next to Shinra HQ. Reports dating back suggested it may not have been an accident, but thus far, we have no evidence to prove otherwise," Reno's own blue eyes stared at startling blues, "His son however, survived and has claimed the seat of president for himself."

"Wait... _Rufus_ is now president?" Zack blinked, remembering the odd conversation he had had with that drug addict in the courtyard, "Say, what happened to Hojo and Hollander? They should be dead too considering the mako reactor was right next to the lab," his eyes narrowed, already suspecting Tseng's answer.

Rude answered just what Zack suspected, "They're still alive and active within the Shinra company," his expression was grim, suggesting his distaste over the fact.

How could he not, after all. The Turks and the science department had never seen eye to eye, especially not with Hojo and Hollander and their crazy personalities. Zack didn't blame him, just about every SOLDIER with a heart and a little shred of sanity hated their guts.

He remembered the Second Class SOLDIER in prison, who had challenged him to a fight in the cafeteria. He also remembered their talk afterwards in the isolation cell as punishment for starting a fight.

 _Flashback_

"Hey, First," the cocky Second Class called out to the man leaning against the wall on his isolation cell, Zack regarded him with blatant distrust and an air of disinterest, two pairs of glowing mako eyes meeting.

Making certain he had Zack's attention, the Second continued, "If you're not responsible for betraying SOLDIER and my buddies deaths...then why are you here?" his voice changed something akin to...sadness, "Why did...they all have to die? We all worked for the same thing, for the same company..." he hissed when he clenched his injured fist, wrapped in bandages.

Zack remained quiet, thinking on the best way how to explain everything that happened before he got sent to this shithole. He didn't know if the Second would even believe him, but he might as well try for the sake of answering the youth's questions.

"Hojo...conducted experiments on some of the Thirds and a select few of Seconds. We started to become suspicious why those SOLDIERS either went missing or died as soon as they stepped foot out in the battlefield." He closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the wall, "We found out Hojo's been injecting them with something. He destroyed any and all evidence so we didn't even know what that stuff was. SOLDIER wanted to kick him out, but..." he sighed, "He promised us he would reveal the location of a captured cadet. Turned out, he had been hiding him in the basement, an underground space located just beneath his lab." His eyes narrowed, "The cadet was barely alive when we found him, pumped full of mako of a strange kind. Following those events, prez Shinra came and took over SOLDIER and made it a part of his company Shinra. SOLDIER would have never allowed for such experiments to continue, but Shinra did. So they did, for a long time." He looked directly at the Second.

"I got captured by that lunatic too and experimented on. When I broke out of the test tube, I had been immune to his experiments due to my high dosage of mako, but the cadet beside me wasn't. He was in a comatose state for months and in that time, Shinra ordered SOLDIER to hunt us down for whatever crazy reason." Zack looked down on the floor, eyes darkening, "We were on the run for a long time, until SOLDIER finally caught up. I hid the cadet and faced them. I thought I would die, but in the end I got imprisoned and my injuries were treated after I killed them all." He looked back at the stunned Second, "I've never heard of Shinra again after that, or the cadet for that matter,"

The Second swallowed audibly and shakily decided to voice his question, "All that trouble for a cadet...just who was he?"

Zack's gaze narrowed and he crossed his arms, "A friend of mine," it seemed he offered no further explanation as he turned and walked to the end of his cell, his back to the door as he remained silent for the rest of the day.

 _Flashback End_

Zack frowned and Rude voiced his thoughts, "You don't seem happy," his remark was sarcastic, of course.

Zack smirked ruefully, "Is there anyone that is?" Rude remained silent, agreeing with him without the use of words.

"Why are you telling me all this? You're still a part of Shinra, even if the prez is dead," Zack found it a shame, he really had wanted to kill the old bastard with his own hands.

Rude didn't miss a beat, "As I said, Rufus is now president. Unlike his father, he seems to be more lenient, even to the point of setting someone like you free," his eyes seem to narrow beneath his shades as he grimaced, "The Turks don't trust him completely, but we are willing to try as long as he doesn't endanger any of us," Rude paused slightly, "He's planning to rebuild Shinra,"

Zack rose an eyebrow suspiciously, "So the president is dead and Rufus took over the throne?" Rude nodded, "And you're saying he wants to rebuild it?"

Reno answered this time, shrugging one shoulder nonchalantly, "Heh, yeah. Haven't been easy, yo. Most stayed loyal to SOLDIER, not Shinra,"

"So, that means SOLDIER will be rebuilt again?" Zack didn't want them to see the slight sliver of hope he felt, he stubbornly pushed it back down.

Reno shook his head, "Not likely, man. Rufus still wants to control it, so don't go getting ideas about SOLDIER as you once knew it, he's still a Shinra, maybe not as bad as his old man, but he's still Shinra,"

"Then why do you follow him?" Zack remembered having already asked this, but this time the answer was different.

A new voice sounded suddenly and Zack shifted his gaze back to the one man he hadn't seen in years, "Because we have no choice,"

He was of average height, still same crisp suit, hair in a high short ponytail, but his eyes were what changed, they seemed darker, wiser, no doubt having seen their fair share of blood and gore.

"Tseng...you..." Zack trailed off, disbelief apparent on his face.

"Are still alive? Yes, you may say that," Tseng stood up to face Zack fully, he smiled after a moment, "It's good to see you, Zack," Zack smiled back, shaking his offered hand.

"Yeah...you too." Smiling at his thought to be deceased friend, Zack composed himself once more, "So, what's the deal with Shinra now?"

Tseng's smile fell, "I'm afraid mako will continue to be used as its primary energy source, however I don't think the tyranny will quite be the same as before. Rufus may be the president's son, but blood is all they share,"

Cid hummed at the remark from behind Zack, "Hm..."

Tseng turned to him directly, "I realize what Shinra has done to you can never be undone nor can it be atoned for, not in a lifetime anyway. I can't say I'm sorry for what happened in the company's name, I can only say I'm sorry about your loss and the years they took from you," Tseng turned towards Barret, "And you,"

Barret snorted, crossing his large arms, "Don't care about no fucking Shinra, all I care about is seeing my little girl again," Tseng nodded and he looked at Reno and Rude.

"Reno, Rude," the two Turks nodded, motioning for a blonde female Turk Zack hadn't seen before to follow them outside.

Now alone with only Tseng in the bar, the Turk stepped toward Zack and retrieved something from the inside of his suit, Zack reflexively braced himself for a concealed weapon even if it was Tseng, but instead, the Wutaian male pulled out a stack of what appeared to be envelopes.

"This is for you," he handed Zack the papers, "These are 89 letters." He looked Zack directly in the eyes, "From Aerith,"

The former SOLDIER's eyes widened, blood turning to ice as a cold shower traveled down his whole body, "When did...-"

Tseng's expression softened slightly, "...Before her death, while you were imprisoned. She...had no knowledge of your imprisonment, she thought you had died in the last battle but she still wrote to you." He placed a hand on Zack's shoulder, "I had wanted to tell her, but I was sworn to secrecy...take your time, Zack," with this, the Turk leader left the bar, the only sound in the room being from the jiggling bell as the door closed.

For a while, it was silent, not even Tifa made a move to turn around and greet them or lighten the mood like she was known to do. Cid and Barret remained quiet as well, staring worriedly at their friend, who was frozen stiff while holding the letters.

Clenching one fist, Zack closed his eyes, breathing deeply.

 _"_ _She...thought I was dead?"_ various thoughts swarmed his mind but this one covered the majority of it, his stone heart clenched painfully, " _All this time...all these years...she thought I died that day..."_ that was why she never answered any of his letters while he was in prison, hearing of her death while imprisoned in that hellhole had been the worst kind of pain he had ever felt before, even the physical pain of his body being riddled with thousands of bullets, sword slashes and burns didn't compare.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Zack directed his question to Tifa without turning to look at her back, "Did you...know of this?"

The barmaid stiffened before slowly turning around to address her friends. Her face spelled sadness and pain, "I found out last night, after Reno and Rude visited me." She bit her lip, "Tseng said...he wanted to tell you personally,"

Walking toward the bar counter, she rested her hands against the polished wood, "I've had two rooms be built in my apartment upstairs, I can take the couch while you guys get settled, I have long night shifts anyway,"

All three heads turned toward the woman and it was Zack that spoke first, "Just cuz I killed a bunch of idiots doesn't mean I lack the heart to let a woman sleep on a couch, you're staying in your bed, Cid will sleep on the couch,"

Appalled, the smoker turned to his friend, "What? Why don't you go sleeping on the couch porcupine?!" he waved his fist at the younger man.

Zack smirked playfully, "This is punishment for praying to your cigarette god and trying to poison yourself again," he winked playfully.

And suddenly, Tifa smoothly produced a rectangular box from under the counter, waving it playfully in the air with her hand, immediately diffusing the situation, "Oh Cid," she stretched his name out lightly and giggled when hope shone brightly in the smoker's eyes.

"My babies!" Cid wasted no time to spring toward the counter, just barely managing to give Tifa a crushing bear hug and a friendly peck on the cheek before he snuggled with his cigarettes, cooing softly.

Barret sneered, "Ya know...for an old ass like ya, ya sure can purr like a kitten,"

Cid kicked the man's leg harshly, causing both friends to start seizing each-other up, reminiscent of their old friendly brawls, "You want me ta show ya how an old ass can kick your fat ass?!"

Zack sat himself on a stool in front of Tifa, resting one arm against the dark polished wood of the counter top, watching his friends, "Funny...it almost feels like things haven't changed," he looked at the familiar photos on the walls, of once happy times.

There was one with all of them, Zack, Tifa, Cid, Barret all of their friends, the family photo as they liked to call it.

A feeling of nostalgia hit him suddenly and Tifa sensed the change in mood, smiling ever so slightly, "I miss him too..."

Zack looked at her, "You mean..." Tifa nodded, smiling.

"Mhm...yeah," both individuals turned their attention back to the happy picture on the wall, of all of them.

A younger Cloud was on it too with a younger Zack, before Shinra's betrayal.

They were happy. All of them. With Zack ruffling Cloud's hair playfully and the younger man smiling and looking helplessly at Tifa, who was laughing in the picture, looking as happy as she hadn't felt in years now.

"How is he?" Tifa smiled sadly at Zack's question.

"Good," she lifted her head to look at him, "He was confused when one of the patrons said they wouldn't come here because _he_ used to be a regular here and friends with me," Tifa chuckled, "Cloud asked him whom he meant, but the man just stayed silent, said something that _his_ name was not to be spoken out loudly," her lips quirked in a small smirk, "You're something of a lethal legend by now,"

Zack snorted, drumming his fingers against the hardwood, "Hm...did you tell him?" he rose an eyebrow, already knowing what she would answer.

Tifa shook her head, "No, it's best if you tell him, you know,"

Zack ran a hand through his long hair, "I guess," Tifa watched the thick, ebony strands of spiky hair.

"Need a haircut?" she offered.

"I need more than just a haircut," he grimaced at the stale smell of his old clothes.

She smiled, "I have a washing machine and some of your old clothes,"

Zack smiled back, "I could use a good shower too..." he smelled of sweaty men and horrible prison food.

Tifa continued their banter, "I have a functioning toilet and a shower,"

Zack smirked, "Even a functioning toilet? Lockhart, you live to impress, I see," the two friends chuckled and Zack stood when Tifa gestured toward the back, "Try to make sure those two don't kill each-other, we wouldn't want a scene do we?"

Tifa smirked, "Oh? I think your entrance may have attracted a few onlookers,"

Zack shook his head, "I knew you missed me," Tifa rolled her eyes.

"I didn't miss the smell of sweaty men and prison, thanks," Zack's laugh could be heard as he ascended the stairs.

* * *

Sitting on top of the familiar hill he hadn't seen in a while, ever since his imprisonment, he looked upon the stone before him, just under the tree, one of their favorite relaxing spots.

Zack smiled serenely, placing the flowers lovingly on her grave, "Hm...89 letters, huh? I'm sure your hand cramped from so much writing," he chuckled softly, his expression for once relaxed, "I've read all of them..." he hung his head down, hair covering his eyes and tickling his cheeks, "Ever the sweet girl I fell in love with...till the end," his gaze softened when he looked at her grave.

 _Aerith Gainsborough_

 _Beloved friend, lover and savior_

"What did Genesis used to call you?" his eyes softened in recognition, chuckling quietly, "Ah yes... _Goddess_ ," silence took over once again, leaves and low hanging branches from the willow tree peacefully brushing her grave in their unhurried motions with the wind.

Expelling a shaky sigh from his body, Zack stood up, "I'll see you later, Aerith," he smiled painfully, "Take care for me," the soft breeze caressed his face and he felt at peace.

Wind tousled his hair and he could have sworn he heard the soothing whisper of the voice he had missed so much over the years flow into his ears, _"Take care, Zack,"_

He smiled.

* * *

Fenrir came to a slow stop just outside of a bakery shop as it's rider killed the engine and dismounted the monstrous motorcycle, kicking the foot rest so Fenrir's weight relied on the carbon leg as the blond man retrieved a package confined within Fenrir's rear compartment.

Hefting the relatively heavy box in his arms, the man grunted as he used his elbow to open the door, the bell chime alerting the elderly gentleman of his presence.

"Ah, there you are, I've been beginning to worry," the elderly man smiled kindly and helped his familiar delivery boy set the package on a nearby table.

"It's alright, I can handle it," came the low voice, now clear without the package in front of his face. Messy blonde spikes partially covered bright blue eyes as they met the wrinkled, dark ones of his customer, "I'm sorry it took so long, I've got caught up in traffic,"

His voice was low and almost monotone, but the sincerity in his eyes was true and that made the man smile, shaking his head, "No need for apologies, young man. The heat is stifling so I've worried you may have keeled over from heatstroke," he laughed lightly, patting Cloud on the shoulder.

"Would you like a refreshment? Surely you must be parched from your deliveries," despite Cloud's polite refusal, he was still handed a tall glass filled to the brim with cool water, the ice cubes clinking together in the glass as the man handed Cloud the cool beverage.

"Thank you, it wasn't necessary," despite his claim, Cloud downed the contents of the glass in one go, letting the cool liquid wash down his admittedly hot and parched throat, finally relieving him of the stifling heat and discomfort he had endured for the duration of his shifts.

Cloud retrieved the small clipboard he brought in on top of the package and the man automatically signed the receipt form.

The old man's eyes twinkled in amusement at Cloud, "Nonsense, I can only imagine what's it's like driving for so long out there, especially in your clothes," he adjusted the collar of his shirt, chuckling when Cloud rose an eyebrow at his own dark clothes, "Perhaps lighter colors may help with keeping the heat at bay," he winked at the youth, smiling.

"Maybe," Cloud prepared to leave and say his goodbye's but the elder man stopped him.

"Hold on my boy," Cloud waited patiently by the counter, watching the man take out a generous wad of money from somewhere within his pocket and holding it out to him with a appreciative, kind smile, "Here, a little something for your efforts," he winked.

But Cloud immediately shook his head, gently but firmly pushing the man's hand back, "It's not necessary, I'm only doing my job," he nodded to reassure the man but he still pushed the money forward to him.

"Take it," there was something serious in the man's eyes that caught Cloud's attention, "There's only so much an old man like me with no relatives can do with all that money." He smiled, "What better way than to pay back a little bit of the patience and kindness you showed me?" he spoke again before Cloud could, "I've heard the whispers in town, you're dealing with a little more than traffic while on the road and knowing how safe my packages are and how often exposed to danger you can get daily makes this old man's heart heavy," he placed the money in Cloud's hands, "You also may be able to buy some toys for those children of yours,"

Cloud blinked slowly, before realization dawned on him and he bowed his head slightly, offering the man a small smile, "Thank you, I..." he struggled to find words, "I will spend it reasonably," he nodded.

The old baker smiled, "I know you will," he winked, "Off you go now, wouldn't want to keep you from your deliveries more than I already have," he ushered him outside playfully and Cloud shook his head, pocketing the money and saying his goodbye's to the man before exiting the sweet smelling shop.

"Wait, Cloud!" Cloud froze, turning his head toward the old baker again.

The old man's face scrunched up in a worried scowl, "There is this talk about a dangerous man out of prison, some folks have gossiped about it today. It may just be rumors, but please take care of yourself and your family,"

Regarding the man questioningly, Cloud held the door opened with his foot, shifting his attention to the man, "A dangerous man? Out of prison?" he rose an eyebrow, "Did he break out?"

The old man shook his head helplessly, "I know not much than you. A few neighbours said he's very dangerous and that was all,"

Nodding and saying goodbye to the baker, Cloud stepped outside, mixed feelings settling in the pit of his stomach. Surely he would have heard about a prison break, definitely if the criminal was as "dangerous" as the old baker said he was. Shaking his head, Cloud cleared his thoughts, surely they were only rumors, it couldn't possibly be true anyhow, maybe he would ask Tifa later just in case.

Looking at the money in his hand, Cloud sighed, feeling a pang in his heart for accepting it so easily. Taking out his wallet and storing the money safely inside in the third sleeve next to his own money, Cloud pocketed his wallet and Fenrir roared to life as Cloud drove away from the familiar shop, entering traffic again as soon as he exited the poor district of Midgar: the slums.

 **I know, pretty short but I hope I can update soon again! :) Thank you all for reading!**


	8. House Visits

**A/N:** Hey my dear readers! :) Redfox here again! Sorry for being late, my other stories keep getting in the way :/

 **ANSWERS TO REVIEWS:**

 **Guest:** haha Thank you so much! Reviews always make me more motivated to write! :3 I plan on writing the encounter between Cloud and Zack to be pretty soon, maybe even in the next chapter? And yeah, a shower scene is definitely planed ;)

 **Whitney:** Thanks for your opinion, I had originally thought of writing Cloud here as the main character but thought that, well, nobody (as far as I know maybe I'm wrong) worte sweet, sunshine Zack in such a way, so I just gave it a try ^^

 **Alcantis:** Hmm…strong Cloti…well the story itself isn't really centered around romance at all. I would say Cloud and Tifa are supporting each-other and I may hint subtly at a few things here and there, but nothing major.

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: House Visits**

Zack rummaged through the closet Tifa had showed him earlier, searching for clothes he hadn't seen or worn for years since his imprisonment.

All he saw daily were stripes or black, not a very colorful stay in prison one might say.

He fished out a simple black shirt, pulling it over his head along with grey pants, searching for something to wear over his shirt, Zack opened the sliding door next to the neatly stacked clothes in the drawers and grinned.

There, in all it's former glory, was his leather jacket. Slightly tattered, slightly torn, a bit riddled with a few holes from stray bullets, but looking as good as new when he carefully inspected the well mended spots Tifa had sewn together, impressed by her handiwork.

His heavy boots clicked noisily on the stairs as he walked down, waving at his team and watching Tifa raise an eyebrow at his wardrobe, "Oh, I see you found it,"

Zack smirked, fingering the hem of his jacket, "Yeah, can't believe you kept all my stuff," he nodded at Cid and Barret, "Your clothes are up there too, go and get them," both gave him a contemplative look, not missing Zack's cue to want to talk to Tifa alone.

Reluctantly, not without a few grumbled words, the bickering pair trudged up the steps, shoving each-other all the way up to the bedrooms.

Zack shook his head, sliding smoothly into the high stool at the bar counter, "I'm going out today,"

Tifa calmly polished a glass, smirking, "Alright, do you need any pocket money? Don't talk to strangers and your curfew is until 12," she smiled at his expression.

"Very funny, mom," he shot her a look, before turning serious, "Now that I'm back and running again, I still have some unfinished business to do," Tifa didn't miss the way Zack patted his hind jean pocket, already knowing what he had hidden within the waistline of his pants: a gun.

Her expression turned mildly worried, "Just be careful, a lot has changed since your imprisonment,"

A smirk curled his lips, with his untamed spiky hair and piercing blue eyes, Zack looked a bit like a feral animal hunting for prey, "Really? Who better to ask than a barmaid?" he leaned his elbows against the polished wood of the counter, eyes glowing mischievously, "Give me a brief update and I'm ready to go,"

Tifa sighed, knowing even if she tried he was undeterred, "Do you need my help?" she gestured subtly to her waist, where she stored her fighting gloves behind her apron.

Zack shook his head calmly, "I got it handled, besides, I may not have Buster now, but I don't need him to do what I need to today,"

Tifa sighed, "The Don moved over to the slums and has taken over it entirely, I hear he's sending people to Sector 5 to take over it as well. His trafficking ring expanded, he doesn't only deal with drugs and petty criminals but people now too, specifically prostitutes." Tifa's gaze narrowed as she polished the glass, "Girls over the age of fourteen and fifteen started missing for the past few weeks, we suspect it's the Don's doing." Tifa gave Zack a once over, "They know you, or at least his top dogs know you. If you're lucky, you may get into the main hall where all the other 'guests' are, but it'll be difficult to get to his private room unless you have the goods for it,"

Zack frowned, clearly peeved, "What if I hire a prostitute and let her slit his throat?"

Tifa gave him a pointed look, "Good luck finding a prostitute that knows how to wield a knife and isn't already bound to the Don by a contract around the area. I'd recommend searching around Costa del Sol or Coral somewhere," Zack huffed at Tifa's blunt humor.

"You said you were going today?" Zack nodded at her question and Tifa stored the now clean glass in one of her cupboards before turning to him again, "I can fight, I have no problem slitting his throat and I think I have the goods for it,"

Zack snorted, "Full of yourself much, Lockhart?" he gave her a brief teasing grin before his serious expression replaced it again, "No, I'm not sending you in there. Don't worry, I'll handle it,"

The pugilist rose an eyebrow, crossing her arms, "Don't give me that crap, Fair. You know as well as I do that I can handle my own, especially against overweight, grabby perverts whose hand-eye-coordination is as good as a four-year-olds," she rolled her eyes in annoyance and Zack lifted his hands in a placating gesture.

His gaze turned cutting, "I said no, Tifa. Don Corneo's dangerous, has been even before I was sent to prison, I don't wanna think how much larger his power got in the years I wasn't there. I know you can fight and defeat guys thrice your size and weight, but I'm not taking any chances while you're outnumbered in a building full of skilled grabby perverts," he gazed imploringly into her burgundy eyes and after a while, she closed them in thought.

Bending down to retrieve something from behind the counter, Zack curiously leaned over to see what she was searching for before a device was abruptly thrown his way, catching it just in time thanks to his fast reflexes.

"My and the bar's number is on speed dial on number 2 and 3, I have a bag full of goods upstairs behind the trap door if you need anything other than a pistol to decapitate a whole building full of armed men, I have something for Cid and Barret and _yes_ they _are_ coming with you otherwise I'm not letting you out of this bar," her hands were on her hips and the look she was giving him could've made seasoned veterans quake in their boots.

Zack took in her words, blinking slowly when her expression softened. Gone was the strong, sassy barmaid that could snap your neck in two if you look at her the wrong way and he could see traces of the shy but caring girl he used to know before Shinra became a central power and before all the shit had happened in the past. Before all of them became a threat to the public and were forced to flee and lay low.

He smiled, grabbing and squeezing her hand, "Yeah, I get it. Thanks Tifa, we'll be back before you know it." Before he could make his way upstairs, he called out to her again, "You don't happen to have extra beds would ya?" his grin was innocent but Tifa knew better.

"You see these chairs?" she pointed at the back with her thumb, "Home sweet home,"

She grinned when the ex-SOLDIER groaned, "Cut me some slack woman, I'm outta prison in not even 24 hours and I have to go from one hard place to the next?"

Tifa rolled her eyes playfully, "I thought you got to experience plenty of 'hard places' back in prison," she smirked as his face got slightly paler.

"Low blow, Lockhart, very low blow," he shook his head, solemnly dragging his feet up the stairs.

Tifa sighed after several seconds, "There are mattresses in the guest room and extra pillows and blankets. I think Marlene would be willing to share her plushie with you if you give her chocolate as a sacrificial offering,"

She smiled when Zack's reply came in the form of a shout, "You're the best Teef!"

Well, she couldn't argue with that now could she?

* * *

"So…. this is it?" Barret discreetly watched the bustling streets, particularly the large, casino-like building just on the opposite street, with overhanging neon signs with hearts and elaborate, lavish text and shady-looking men dressed sharply in suits, smoking outside.

Zack nodded, donning his gloves, "The address sounds about right." He patted the rifle he had slung across his back, hidden by his jacket and the two dual pistols hidden within his pants and two additional ones slung over his shoulders, "You ready?" he eyed his two companions, smirking at their appearance.

To innocent passerby's, they looked like wealthy men intent to have some fun, dressed in black slacks and well fitted dress shirts and blazers sans Zack. In reality, a few smoke bombs and various firearms were well hidden beneath their clothing, how not even Zack could figure out, but he didn't even want to know.

Zack on the other hand had remained in his simple jeans and leather jacket, he would be doing a bit more fighting and it would be a pity if he ruined his suit…if he had had one in the first place.

He could smell the scent of decay, gunpowder and all sorts of illegal substances hanging thickly in the air like the smell of staleness in a prison cell.

Zack moved forward first, casually striding up to the bodyguard positioned ramrod straight in front of the flashy entrance, sliding a few hundred Gil into his breast pocket.

The tall, dark-skinned man with the shades smirked and shard a brief look with Zack, before schooling his features into a neutral scowl again.

Zack entered without much trouble.

Scantily clad women, clouds of smoke and well-dressed, intoxicated men greeted him as soon as he entered. He smirked invitingly, using all his charm not even prison beat out of him, walking over to the receptionist desk and winking at the female behind it.

Eyes the color of honey roved over him, with no small amount of appreciation, before settling on his eyes. A brief flash of confusion and suspicion clouded them, before it disappeared as soon as he started to speak, "So, what does a guy have to do to have some fun around here? Say, of a higher caliber?" he winked, flashing bright teeth and licking his upper lip.

Disappointment shone in the woman's eyes when Zack chuckled flirtingly, "I heard the Don doesn't mind much from which side his clientele comes from if you know what I mean," he grinned roguishly.

The woman giggled, voice lowering to not be heard over the bustling of the brothel, "Ah, too bad, I would have considered offering you one of our special services," her eyes racked over him again, "So that's how it is. The Don currently has…guests but allow me a moment to check with my colleagues, hun," red painted lips curled into a seductive smile and the woman sashayed her way through a door at the back and Zack smirked.

As casually and calmly as he could, Zack slipped his way passed a couple sucking each-other's faces off, probably one of the guard's, and stealthily tiptoed upstairs, the warm, exotic colors of the setting downstairs falling into a much cooler, darker tone.

Now this, Zack knew, wasn't where customers usually were allowed entry to. Doors were lined on both sides of the narrow corridor, at least twenty in total if Zack hadn't miscalculated.

The easiest way to figure out which one was the Don's room would be heading to the end of the corridor and opening that door, but he knew the Don wasn't that stupid. While the sleazy man did live in lavish luxury, he made sure he wasn't as visible to the naked public's eye as appearances made to believe. The harder it was to find him without the guidance of his 'employees'

Zack moved with frightening ease at the sound of a 'click'.

Years of serving in the military and spending his time in prison ingrained a deep-seated instinct within him, a 'clicking' sound was never a good sound. It either stood for the tell-tale signs of a set off grenade or the cocking of a gun, neither of which Zack preferred to be heading for his blind spots.

Pivoting to the left, Zack removed his gun from it's holsters at his back and aimed it straight at the forehead of a man with startled eyes, pupils reduced to little frightened dots.

The man held a lighter in his right hand, which was trembling badly and a sudden sharp smell assaulted Zack's nose.

The man had pissed himself of fear. Literally.

"Get out of here," Zack inclined his head toward the door and the man fled without a second thought, not minding his soiled dress pants one bit.

Zack sighed, hissing at the smell and shoving his gun in it's holster again.

His gaze narrowed at the loud moans echoing from the room at the far back and he moved in the opposite direction, probably one of the guards on break.

After all, when dawn fell over the city of Midgar, prostitution and any other shady activities seemed to overshadow all that was still good in a city such as Midgar. Thanks to Corneo's rise to fame, criminal gangs have doubled in size since the last few years, sex and human trafficking seemed like a second trade after becoming a food vendor. Most people turned a blind eye to it, but everyone knew of the darker workings behind the sex trafficking.

Don Corneo was connected to Shinra and Zack would find out how.

The Don was a cowardly man, a man of influence and power with his trade, but cowardly. Having any sort of dealings with Shinra would not only be unusual for him, but also cause alarm amongst the authorities. After all, military top dogs working with a mafia leader known for prostitution and sex trafficking was not common, especially during the time of peace after the war between Shinra and SOLDIER, where the President overthrew them and took Midgar as his own with the mako energy they extracted and produced in masses.

But above all else, Don Corneo was a horny asshole, who would even endanger himself if it meant getting what he wanted, which usually always involved women.

" _At this rate, they must be looking for me,"_ Zack noted the increased activity downstairs and he moved forward, pressing his ear against each and every door and carefully opening them gently but quickly, trying to locate the Corneo. He took out his phone and pressed the number zero, before pocketing it again.

A message would be sent to Barret and Cid and they would try to distract the staff, if forced, storm the place while Zack dealt with the Don.

Finally, only two rooms left.

Zack pressed his back against the wall and leaned in closer toward the door, hearing muted whispers.

One man and multiple women it seemed.

Zack took out his gun, checking the ammo before adjusting the rifle across his back.

The minute he heard laughter from the room, Zack kicked down the door and charged.

What he saw made him want to gouge his eyes out, but he tried to focus on the task at hand. Don Corneo, naked, on his lavish Wutai-inspired bed, three scantily clad women standing in front of him, almost as if he was choosing which one to devour next.

It made Zack _sick_.

The Don looked as pale as Zack had ever seen him and he frantically made a grab for his burgundy silk sheets, quickly covering his obese, nude state and sparing Zack from any further nightmare material.

"W-wh-what the-! N-no…" fear made him freeze in his spot, eyes wide and body trembling, "How…how…h-how did you get out?" Corneo slowly backtracked across his bed, away from the gun aiming at him, the girls were frozen in fear.

Zack shot them a sideways glance and cocked his head behind him, "I suggest you leave if you don't want his filthy blood on your pretty clothes," the girls were quick to flee the scene, obviously harboring no loyalty nor affectionate feelings for the sleazy male cowering on the bed.

A gleam entered Zack's eyes as he advanced, slow, measured steps towards his victim, "Hi there, Don, remember me? Old friend Zack?" his grin was vicious as he aimed at Corneo's foot and fired, red staining the previously pink and white sheets of the bed and the room was filled with Corneo's high pitched screams of pain that made Zack's ears ring familiarly.

"W-Whyy?! Y-you b-b-bastard!" Corneo held his foot tightly, blood slowly flowing from between the creases of his fingertips, staining the sheets further.

The bed dipped when Zack placed his foot on the edge of it, gun all the while aimed at Corneo, eyes glowing, "Why? Well, after I finally got out, I heard you've been getting friendly with Shinra," his gaze narrowed in warning when the helpless man looked like he was looking at the door behind him, "Don't even think about it," he heard the sounds of mayhem downstairs and smirked, "I think your bodyguard's are a bit busy with my friends,"

The Don's gaze was filled with fear and hatred, "You bloody dog, heh, so w-what? They released you out of your cage and you think you own this place now that you're fr-" Zack pushed the head of the gun right to Corneo's open mouth, with the safety off.

"Listen up Don, we both know there are people out there worse than me out for your fat hide," that was a lie, "So why don't ya spill the beans and tell me all ties you have with Shinra before I paint the walls a new shade of red," the half naked man started to panic, breathing heavily through his nose as his saliva rolled over the barrel of the gun, glassy eyes squeezing shut to keep the tears at bay.

Zack moved back slightly to allow the man to speak, but the gun was still aimed at his head at the ready, "P-p-p-p-lease, n-not m-m-mme, p-please Zack, p-p-"

" _Talk_ ," Zack pressed the gun harder into the fat man's skin and the man whimpered like a lost child.

After a series of whimpers and sniffles, it seemed like Don Corneo finally calmed down enough for his gibberish to make sense to Zack, "S-S-Shinra, t-they…they hired me,"

A dark eyebrow shot up to his hairline and the hair on the back of Zack's neck stood on end, "Hired _you_? Why the fuck would they do that? What good is a slum lord to them?"

Shinra had power, military might, high mako productions, what would they gain from hiring a god damn slum lord?

Corneo panted like a dog, shakily wiping away the saliva that dribbled down his chin, "P-People," he swallowed heavily, "My…m-my connections to people, they…t-they needed them. B-B-But I swear Zack, I don't know for what!" he whimpered pathetically, sweaty, oily hands grabbing at Zack's shirt until the man moved away and pressed the gun at his forehead.

Don Corneo's connections to _people_?

Zack grit his teeth, silent anger clouding his eyes, "Your connections to people? Don't make me laugh, what good would your shitty connections be to them?"

The Don suddenly laughed, a weak broken sound and he shook his head, "D-don't you know? A company can't f-function without convincing the p-p-people of the city first," something in Corneo's eyes flashed eerily, "Especially the ones in the slums,"

Even if Corneo was a sleazy asshole, it was true.

No company could make it big or survive for long without any sort of connection to the people supporting them or living in the city they operate in. The slums themselves make up a large part of Midgar, without their support, Shinra would be lost in the long run.

Zack moved away completely, gun aimed at Corneo, "What exactly did you offer them? What was your payment?" his eyes briefly scanned the lavish room, scented heavily with aromas that made Zack's head spin, aphrodisiacs, maybe light drugs to make the girls more compliant, sweat, sex and smoke. Other than that nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

His gaze turned to Corneo.

Blood ran in a small trickle down his chin from biting his lip so hard, his pants coming out harsh from his nose, "Information about the social structure in the slums, what the people thought of Shinra…c-contacts...s-s-some of my men." He gripped the bedsheets tightly, "T-they…they gave me m-money and p-protection,"

Zack snorted, "Capable partners you got there," a bloodthirsty grin stretched his handsome, sharp features, "'Protection', huh? What a laugh," he chuckled, the sound low and sending a shiver down the Don's back.

"P-P-please…I-I told you what I know, I-I don't know anything I s-swear Zack!" the Don hesitantly shuffled forward and weakly gripped at Zack's boot, "W-we've known each-other for a while, y-you wouldn't kill an old acquaintance r-r-"

The man fell back with a hole in his head, blood slowly seeping into the sheets of the bed.

Zack stared down emotionlessly at the Don's dead body, his gaze glowing, "My bad. My hand slipped," he pocketed his gun back into it's original space, going for the door.

The hallway looked clean, devoid of blood marks and corpses. Have Barret and Cid cleared everything out downstairs?

Zack's eyes narrowed and he rested a hand over his gun, carefully making his way downstairs, his feet making no sound on the polished floorboards.

When he turned the corner, he was nearly hit in the face by something black and he quickly ducked and kicked the person in the stomach, hearing a wheezing cough and a thud when the body fell to the floor.

One of Shinra's dogs as he noticed their signature insignia on the breast pocket of the suit.

Zack raced toward the lounge and frowned, bringing forth his gun, never taking his eyes off Cid and Barret, who were held at gunpoint by three bloody beaten men dressed in suits, "So, you got busted, huh?" he glared disapprovingly at his comrades, with Cid growling lowly under his throat, while Barret huffed.

"Shut the hell up spiky! They got us from behind alright?!" Barret stomped his foot angrily and one of the men nudged his rifle sharply against his ribs and Barret reluctantly quietened down.

Zack was up against three adversaries, trained by Shinra and his friends held at point blank range. If he shot one of them, there was a high chance either Cid or Barret would get shot.

Wait…

Slowly, Zack smirked and retreated, taking two large steps back.

The three suits looked at each-other in confusion, before one of them advanced upon Zack until a bone-cracking sound echoed through the room along with a buzz of electricity and the dead body fell heavily to the floor, the suit's head smashing against it.

Zack smirked, "Took ya long enough," as he aimed at the second man that held a gun to Barret's head while a large, shadowy figure sneaked up on the other Shinra grunt.

Two strong arms wrapped around the Shinra dog's throat tightly, immediately choking him, his gun dropping noisily to the ground as he clawed at the dark-skinned hands that held him in a chokehold. Only minutes passed before the crushing of bone could be heard and that man too, fell to the floor.

The third one was apprehended by another lightning rod to the balls and a gunshot to the head.

Zack winced in sympathy when the last thing the man did before dying was holding his family jewels in his hands before Zack's bullet made contact with his forehead.

Zack smiled at the two new figures, one tapping the same lightning rod against his shoulders and the other bigger man adjusting his shades, "Didn't know you were invited to the tea party too," he addressed the darker-skinned male directly next, "I saw you outside before I went in, but I wasn't sure, ya know, shades and all,"

Reno chuckled and cocked his head, "We just came by to even out the playing field," his gaze swept over the plethora of corpses on the ground and he whistled lowly, "You guys didn't become rusty in those walls, I'll give ya that,"

Barret clasped a hand on Rude's shoulder and he nodded, "Thanks, fuckers hid in a hidden room and we didn't see 'em until they put their guns to our heads," he leveled a scathing glare at Cid, "If the shithead over there had actually _checked_ before we started cheering maybe they wouldn't have gotten us!"

Cid's gaze spelled death as he glared up at his friend, "Oi, if you're gonna act like a dick at least lemme put a condom over your head so ya look the part!"

Before their usual verbal battles turned into blows, Reno cleared his throat, "Anyone up for a drink at Tifa's? I know a good cure for a headache, yo," he grinned, all teeth as his eyes caught Zack's.

The ex-SOLDIER smiled and headed for the door, "Let's go, I think the Don's drugs made my head spin," he grinned and the group of men exited the ransacked brothel.

Zack caught a group of prostitutes cowering behind a wall of the brothel and he motioned for the others to walk ahead while he headed straight for them.

One of the women, a tall blonde with a mean scar on her cheek, picked up a metal pipe on the ground and held it between herself and Zack, all the other women shaking in fear at Zack's arrival.

True, he certainly didn't look like a nice person, with slightly torn clothes, a bit of blood here and there, and his glowing blue eyes. He sighed and reached into his back pocket, finding what he was looking for.

With slow, measured steps Zack held out his hand and waited patiently. The woman with the pipe spoke first, "W-what the hell do ya want huh?! H-haven't you done enough?"

Zack leveled her with a steady gaze, "Before you run your mouth, give me your hand," the demand made all the women freeze up and Zack's expression softened slightly.

When he looked at them more closely, most of them, he was sure, weren't for long in their twenties, some barely reaching adulthood. He gently shook his clenched hand and one of the women shakily stepped out from behind the back of the woman holding the pipe, extending her hand out.

Zack opened his hand and let the papers fall into the woman's trembling hand, all heads locked onto the wad of money Zack just casually deposited on her hand.

When the women all looked at him his back was already turned, "I got this from the Don, there's more where that came from I'm sure. Anyone that could cause you trouble is dead, so raid the place out as you like," with his hands in his pockets, Zack made to leave before the woman holding the pipe suddenly shouted.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?! Killing our boss and giving us dead money huh?! We aren't some little kids you need to keep of the streets!" she hissed and Zack turned his head slightly to them, noticing them tense up.

He studied them for a moment before answering calmly, "I'm pretty sure some of you only just got eighteen and I'm even more sure most of ya went along with the Don to make some fast cash and not get murdered on the street," his gaze fell to the money held in the trembling hand, "This ain't me saving you, I just told ya where to search for the bones, you gotta pick them up yourselves,"

With that, Zack left the group of stunned women behind, rejoining his group minutes later in the car.

Reno glanced at him from the back mirror, "Took a piss?"

Zack smirked, "Nah, just did some quick business,"

Barret rose an eyebrow but remained silent, shrugging as he leaned back against the seat, exhausted from the day's fight.

Reno pulled the car out of the parking space and drove for Seventh Heaven, not before noticing a group of the Don's prostitutes carefully re-entering the destroyed place.

He thought he saw one of the girl's holding a stack of cash against her chest, but he couldn't be sure from the distance.

"Got any money from the place?" he asked conversationally as he concentrated on the road and Zack's offhand reply made him smirk.

"Found nothing,"

It looked like even a bloodthirsty game dog could throw a bone to a pack of puppies every once and a while. For some reason, the sappy thought made Reno think even with a harsh lifestyle as Zack's, not all good died out.

 **Thank you for reading! See you in the next chapter! :) Suggestions for further chapters?**


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